Little Sister
by Kamije Celeek
Summary: Soul never told Maka anything about his family, since he wanted to cut ties with them as much as possible. But when his little sister shows up, ready to attend school with them, he's going to learn that family is forever and there's no cutting those ties.
1. The Youngest Evans

_**A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…**_

 **Oops, wrong story.**

 **Well, it does have** _ **something**_ **to do with the story. Back when I first got into anime,** _ **Soul Eater**_ **was one of the first I watched. That was two years ago. Since then, I've gotten back into it this year. As a result, I have fanfic ideas!**

 **This one is a story about Soul, Maka, and a new OC, Kristen. Don't worry, guys. She's not a romantic rival for Maka. I'm a hardcore SoMa shipper; I'd never do that to my OTP unless it's Soul getting jealous over Maka.**

 **Anyway, onto the story…**

* * *

Kristen double-checked the address on the envelope.

 _37 Death Vine Road, Apartment 506,_ she thought as the cab sped along.

"37 Death Vine Road, please," she told the driver.

"All right, lady. You got it," the driver replied. She slumped against the seat, taking in her surroundings as Death City flashed by in the windows.

As the vehicle came to a stop, Kristen thanked the driver and paid him before getting her suitcase out of the trunk. She headed up the stairs until she came to the right apartment, where she tried the knob only to find the door was locked.

 _No problem,_ she thought, checking under the "Welcome" mat and finding the spare key. She unlocked the door and replaced the key before going inside.

As to be expected at one in the afternoon on a Friday, the apartment was empty. Kristen sighed.

"Well, this is the place," she said to herself, sitting on the couch. She was exhausted from her flight and laid down, where she quickly fell asleep.

"Wake up!"

Kristen screamed and shot up on the couch. A woman in revealing clothing with cat's ears, a tail, and a witch's hat was standing there. She had her arms crossed in annoyance.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" the woman asked. Kristen held a hand to her heart, trying to stop it from going a thousand miles an hour, before sighing in relief and turning to the woman.

"I'm Kristen. I'm here to see Soul. Who are you?"

"I'm Blair. I live here. Why do you want to see Scythey Boy?"

"It's personal."

"Well, based on your suitcase, you'll be here for a while. Here." Blair helped Kristen to her feet. "Why don't we get you set up in the Meister-kitten's room? It's bound to be more comfortable than that stupid couch."

"Thank you! I had a long flight from New York City, so I do need to rest."

"Ooh! New York City? Do tell!" Kristen laughed as Blair took her to one of the other rooms. It had a pink-and-purple color scheme and obviously belonged to a girl. "Pum-pum-pum-pumpkin!" Blair waved a hand over an empty spot in a corner of the room and a bed appeared. "There! That should be comfortable enough to sleep on! Enjoy!"

"Thank you, Blair. You're nice for a witch."

"Oh, I'm not a witch! I'm just a cat with a ridiculous amount of magic power. Anyway, I'm going to work. Soul and Maka should be home soon. Bye, Kitten!"

Kristen tucked her purse and suitcase under the bed and sat down on it. Thirty minutes passed, and then an hour.

 _Come on, Soul,_ she groaned in her head. Her body decided it wanted to sleep, so she laid back down and closed her eyes.

* * *

Maka grumbled to herself as she walked up the stairs to the apartment. She was alone, since Soul had decided to go play basketball with Black*Star.

 _Stupid Soul,_ she thought. _Leaving me all by myself... At least I have a new book to read._

Inside, she set down her bag and went to her room to change out of her uniform. She'd just gotten a T-shirt on over a pair of old jeans when she realized someone else was in the room. Maka turned around to see a bed that _definitely_ hadn't been there that morning in the corner. And someone was in it. She screamed and clamped a hand over her mouth, but it was too late.

"Hmmm… who's there?" the person, a little girl with white hair like Soul's, mumbled. She rubbed her blood-red eyes and stared at Maka in disbelief. "Who are you?"

"I should be asking _you_ that question!" Maka snapped. "Who are you and why are you in my apartment?!"

"Um…" The girl got off the bed and stood up. She looked about eight or nine, but had an air about her that said she was older. "I'm Kristen. Who are you? I thought this was Soul's apartment."

"It is, but it's _mine_ , too."

"Oh. Are you his girlfriend?" Maka blushed a deep red that would've looked more attractive on a tomato.

"N-no! I'm his Meister and his roommate!"

"Oh." Kristen smiled. "That makes more sense."

"Why are you here?"

"I'm here looking for Soul."

"Any reason why?"

"Yeah, but I don't know you, so I don't think I can tell you…"

Maka looked Kristen up and down. Long white hair, red eyes, shark-like teeth, and a small frame. The pieces suddenly fit together.

"You're Soul's sister or something, right?"

"Little sister," Kristen affirmed, nodding. "I got off the plane from New York this morning."

"All by yourself?"

"Yeah."

"You must be exhausted, but I'd love to talk some more, if you don't mind."

"Do you have any food? I haven't eaten since I left New York last night…"

"Sure. We _should_ have plenty, but knowing Soul, I'll probably have to go shopping again."

Kristen settled herself in the living room while Maka got her a snack. It was Soul's night to cook, meaning they were either going to have something ridiculously simple or takeout. At the very least, she'd get to talk to a member of Soul's family without him nearby.

"So, Kristen, what's it like in New York?"

"Oh, it's a great town, despite the amount of low-level Kishin around. I'm always seeing DWMA students fighting on the streets." Kristen sipped the soda Maka had brought out. "It's an interesting town, to be sure, but not as much as Death City!" She propped her chin up in her hand. "What's it like to live here?"

"I love it, actually. There are so many stores and restaurants and things to do. Of course, I don't do most of it, seeing as Soul and I have school and training so much of the time."

"He's a scythe, right?"

"A Death Scythe now, to be exact. I thought you knew that."

"I was just making sure. I only got one letter from him and then nothing after that. No emails, no texts, no phone calls, nothing."

"I'm so sorry."

"I figured he just wanted to cut ties with everyone in our family." She bowed her head. "Including me."

"Oh, Kristen, I'm sure he didn't mean it. We've been really busy."

 _I'm going to Maka-chop the shit out of him when he gets home!_

"Anyway, as a Death Scythe, he'd be able to teach others, right?"

"Yeah. My dad does, and Miss Marie does. Why?"

"Um… well… we found out last week that… he's not the only Weapon in our family…"

"You?!"

"Yeah. I can't transform yet, at least not on purpose."

"That's normal, but that's awesome, Kristen! Are you enrolled at the DWMA yet?"

"No. I wanted to see Soul first."

"That makes sense."

"You're really nice, Maka."

"Thank you." Maka smiled. "So… what was Soul like when he was little?"

"Oh, I can tell you _so_ many stories! Like this one time, some kids at school were giving me a hard time because of my white hair and shark teeth and he came over and told them to knock it off. Then when they didn't, he beat the crap out of them. He got suspended for a week."

"Yep. That's Soul, all right."

They could hear the sound of a key in the lock and the door opening.

"Hey, Maka!" Soul called. "I didn't feel like cooking so I was thinking we'd get take—"

He broke off as soon as he saw Kristen, his eyes wide with shock and confusion.

"Kristen?!" he gasped.

"SOUL!"

The girl tackled her big brother in a hug. All he could do was be shocked.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" he finally choked out. Maka rolled her eyes.

"Kristen, let your brother breathe."

"Oh, sorry, Soul!" Kristen bounced up and Soul got to his feet.

"Did you know she was coming?" he asked Maka.

"Soul, I didn't even know she _existed_ until I found her in my room."

* * *

Once Soul got the rundown of why his twelve-year-old little sister had made her way across the country by herself, he was more than a little calmed down. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Well, guess we'd better order dinner. Kris, you still only eat sweet-and-sour chicken, right?"

"Ah doy!"

"Cool. You might want to call Mom and Dad to let them know you got here safely."

"Okay." She dug into her pocket and pulled out her phone, heading into Maka's room to make the call. Once she was gone, Maka grabbed an encyclopedia off the shelf and hit Soul with a Maka-chop.

"OW! WHAT THE FUCK, MAKA?!"

"How could you ignore your sister for _four years_?!" she hissed. "She says all she got from you was one letter after you moved in here and nothing after that! What the hell, Soul?!"

"Oh… damn." He slapped his forehead. "Okay, yeah, I deserved that Maka-chop. I didn't _mean_ to do it, okay? We just started getting busy collecting souls and then there was the whole thing with Medusa and Asura… I just didn't really have time."

"I'm still mad at you for it, since she seems to have _completely and totally forgiven you_."

"Hey, Kris has a heart of gold. She can't be mad at anybody for long."

The food arrived and Kristen picked a movie for the three of them to watch: _Kubo and the Two Strings_. It was a good movie, and they all headed to bed afterwards.

* * *

"Hey, Maka?" Kristen asked, propping her chin up in her hands. She was lying on the bed Blair had made that afternoon.

"Yeah?" Maka replied.

"Do you… like… Soul?"

"He's my best friend and my partner."

"No, I mean _like_." Maka looked up at the wall for a second, then appeared to be concentrating.

"Okay, he's not listening and the soul connection is dampened. Why do you want to know?"

"Because… I think he _really_ likes you, and I want you two to work out so you can be my sister." Maka blushed, then grabbed Kristen and brought her over to her bed.

"Kristen, what I'm about to tell you is top secret. You take it to the _grave_ , okay?"

"Got it. My lips are sealed."

"I… I _do_ have a crush on Soul. Just a _tiny_ one. You can't tell him because it'll just make everything awkward between us."

"But he likes _you_!"

"No, he doesn't. He just sees me as… as… well, a sister, I guess. It's hopeless."

" _Nothing_ is hopeless, Maka!"

"Good night, Kristen."

"Good night, Maka."

And with that, they turned out the light.

* * *

 **I started writing this a week ago, and this is the fifth time I've rewritten it. It fucking** _ **sucks**_ **, but I needed an establishment chapter.**

 **Next time, Kristen meets the rest of Soul's friends. Also, I would like to point out that we know very little about Soul's family, so who knows? He** _ **could**_ **have a little sister.**

 **So long and thanks for all the fish!**


	2. Settling In

**So unlike a lot of stories that are random collections, this one is going to go in chronological order. Last time, I had Kristen enter their lives. This time, they're going to bond with her and we'll establish relationships between characters. I have special plans for one Mr. Spirit Albarn. Tsubaki, Maka, and the Thompson sisters, too.**

 **A quick rundown on Kristen's story, for a recap: After four years of no contact of any kind with her older brother, Kristen found out that she was a Weapon and headed off to Death City, where she now lives with Soul, Maka, and Blair. She's twelve years old and a hopeless romantic, meaning, yes, coolgirl, she playing matchmaker. That will come into play the next couple chapters, since I have plans. Other than that, the story's pretty open. Also, something I want to point out is, yes, Kristen is slightly ADHD (a lot, actually) and she has issues, but who doesn't?**

 **Onto the second chapter!**

* * *

Kristen awoke to the sound of her brother yelping in pain. Alarmed, she hopped out of bed and ran to his room, where she found Blair wearing nothing but a bra and panties, Maka looking annoyed and holding an encyclopedia, and Soul with a large, book-shaped dent in his head.

"Um…" she said, surveying the scene. "What happened?"

"Oh, morning, Kitten!" Blair greeted her, turning into her cat form before becoming human again, this time dressed decently. "We just had a _teensy_ disagreement. Nothing to be worried about!"

"I think I should know what happened, if I'm going to be—" Blair started pushing Kristen out of the room.

"Let's get you some breakfast, Kitten! Leave them to work it out!"

In the kitchen, Blair began pulling out ingredients to make an omelet.

"Okay, seriously, Blair. What happened?" Kristen asked.

"Well, we sort of have this ritual," Blair replied, cracking an egg using magic so she could face Kristen. "Every morning, I just want to have some fun with Soul and he gets all flustered and Maka hits him with a book."

"What do you mean by 'fun'?"

"…I actually have no idea, because he never wants to do it!"

"I have a feeling what _you_ think is fun and what my brother thinks is fun are two different things…"

"Oh, I know. I'm just trying to make sure he has an understanding of what makes a woman—"

"Ahem!" Maka coughed, standing in the doorway.

"Hi, Maka! Kitten and I were just talking about you and Soul!"

"Yeah, I heard." Soul exited his room and headed for the bathroom.

"So, what are we doing today, big sis?" Kristen asked Maka, trying to diffuse some of the tension.

"Oh, well, we _were_ planning on hanging out at the park with some of our friends, but if you don't want to, that's okay."

"No, I _want_ to meet your friends!"

"No fair!" Blair whined. "How come Maka's your big sis?"

"You're more of the mom type than the sister type."

"Oh, that makes sense. Don't you worry, Kitten! Mama Blair's going to protect you!"

She put the omelet on a plate and handed it to Kristen.

"Thanks, Blair." Kristen practically inhaled it.

* * *

After the three kids got ready, they said goodbye to Blair and headed to the park. Kristen talked a mile a minute about how excited she was to be spending time with them, making Maka feel guilty about how they'd woken her up that morning.

Upon reaching the park, of course, they heard their friends before they saw them.

Namely, Black*Star.

"HEY, MAKA! SOUL!"

The blue-haired "ninja" was waving to them. He hadn't even noticed Kristen, who was suddenly feeling painfully shy. She lingered behind Maka and Soul, waiting for them to introduce her.

"Hey, who's the stalker?" joked Liz, noticing Kristen.

"This is my little sister, Kristen," Soul replied.

"SISTER?!" they all yelped. Kristen nodded.

"Well, I can definitely see it," Kid commented, walking around Kristen. He was looking her up and down, making her self-conscious. "Kristen, I can say with certainty that you are perfectly symmetrical! It's beautiful!"

"Thank… you?" The white-haired girl felt incredibly confused.

"You'll get used to it," Liz assured her. "Anyway, you're so cute! How old are you? Eight? Nine?"

"Twelve."

"Damn. I was way off."

"It's fine."

"How come you've never mentioned your sister before?" Tsubaki asked Soul.

"I was just trying to avoid the rest of my family. Kristen's cool, though."

"YES!" cheered Kristen, making everyone else laugh.

* * *

"So, you're enrolling at the DWMA?" Kid inquired once they'd all calmed down.

"Yeah. We found out I was a Weapon last week. Wes insisted I had to go to Death City immediately so I could learn to control it."

"Who's Wes? He sounds cute!" giggled Patti.

"He's my oldest brother."

"GOT ANY MORE SIBLINGS YOU HAVEN'T TOLD US ABOUT?!" Black*Star yelled at Soul.

"NOPE! JUST ANNOYING BROTHER AND WAY-TOO-CHATTY SISTER!"

* * *

It had been two weeks since Kristen had enrolled at the DWMA. She had yet to find a Meister, but that was fine with her. Soul and Maka were teaching her all the basics, most importantly how to transform on command. She struggled at first, but her brother proved to be the best motivator by pointing out how much ass she could kick once she got a Meister if she could learn to do that kind of stuff.

Then there was the day she met Maka's dad.

Ooh, boy.

* * *

"C'mon, Soul! Please?!"

"I said no, Kris. I have work to do."

"Ugh!" She crossed her arms defiantly.

For a person four-and-a-half feet tall, she could be _very_ intimidating.

"Hey, Soul," Spirit spat with his usual if-you-so-much-as- _touch_ -my-Maka-I'll-fucking-kill-you air.

"Hey, old man," Soul replied, turning around. Kristen let out a huff of annoyance at her brother.

"You're gonna be late if you don't hurry up. Your little girlfriend can wait."

"EW!" Kristen gagged. "Who _is_ this guy?!"

"That's Maka's dad."

"What— _how is she his kid_?!"

"Who are you?!" Spirit snapped. Kristen rolled her eyes.

"Watch how you talk to my sister!" Soul growled.

"Your _sister_?!" Suddenly, Kristen's exclamation of disgust made complete sense. "I'm sorry!" he told Kristen. "I had no idea you were his sister!"

"I only moved in with him and Maka two weeks ago!" She puffed out her cheeks. "Speaking of which, I've got to help her make dinner since I can't work on training today." She shot a ruby glare at her older brother before skipping off down the hall.

* * *

Now, logic would dictate that Kristen would help Spirit be less smothering and overprotective of Maka, since she served as a natural sex deterrent (not that Soul and Maka were having sex, mind you), but remember, this is Death Scythe Spirit "Papa Loves Maka More Than Anything" Albarn. He doesn't operate on logic.

He operates on instinct, which is why he began stopping by regularly—not to smother Maka with attention, but to make sure that she, Soul, and Blair were keeping an eye on Kristen. He knew that Maka and Soul were both responsible, but they weren't there _all the time_. They still had missions and extra lessons, meaning Kristen was by herself a lot of the time.

Then she got sick.

Really sick.

* * *

"Kristen!" called Spirit as he knocked on the apartment door. There was no answer. "Kristen?"

Finally, he heard the tiny footsteps that belonged to the youngest member of the Albarn-Evans household, much slower than usual. She opened the door and immediately he knew something was wrong. Her face was pale and streaked with sweat, her eyes glazed with fever. Not to mention her normally hyperactive and cheerful personality had been replaced by one more… sluggish and quiet.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm f—" She broke off in a coughing fit. Immediately, Spirit felt her forehead. Like Soul, she had an abnormally warm body temperature, but she felt even warmer than usual.

"Kristen, you're sick. Where are Maka and Soul?"

"On a mission… Blair had already left by the time I—*cough*—got up."

"Well, you need to just sit tight for a minute. I'm going to call Stein and have him take a look at you, okay?"

"Okay…"

* * *

"It's a nasty case of _streptococcal pharyngitis_."

"What the hell is that?!"

"In layman's terms, it's strep throat. It's perfectly normal to have a case of it at this age."

"Are you sure?"

"Yep. The test came back positive."

"Jeez… I haven't dealt with this since Maka was eight."

"Well, Kristen's still adjusting to life in Death City. I'm not surprised she got sick."

"She needs someone with her at all times, right?"

"That would be ideal, yes. However, before you think of volunteering for the position, remember that you have a job. I'd suggest Blair to take care of her until Maka and Soul come back from their mission."

* * *

Until Soul and Maka returned from their mission (which took a rather short amount of time), Spirit took care of Kristen. She was asleep when the two teenagers came back. Spirit was asleep at the kitchen table, drooling just the tiniest bit.

"Wonder what happened," Soul commented, waking up Spirit.

"SHUSH!" the older Death Scythe hissed. "Kristen had strep throat and she's still recovering!"

"What?!" Maka whispered. "But she was perfectly healthy when we left!"

"She's a little better now, but she still needs someone to keep an eye on her and make sure she takes the antibiotics Stein prescribed."

"Thank you, Papa."

Though Spirit maintained a straight face on the outside, on the inside, he was screaming, "See, Maka?! Your papa is the best papa in the world! He takes care of sick children he cares about, whether they're his or not!"

"Good night." Spirit waved as he left the apartment. Soul knelt next to his sister and felt her forehead.

"Her temperature's normal," he declared. Maka was looking on the shelf and found what she was looking for: the medical encyclopedia Stein had given her two Christmases ago.

"Let's see…" she muttered as she flipped through the pages. "Here it is. ' _Streptococcal pharyngitis_ , better known as strep throat, is a bacterial infection of the pharyngeal tissue, causing the localized inflammatory reaction of the throat and tonsils. It most commonly affects school-age children between the ages of 5 and 15. Several types of antibiotics can be used to treat strep throat, including penicillin, cephalosporin, and macrolides. Symptoms include sore throat, swollen tonsils, fever, white spots on the tonsils, and an ill appearance.' Sounds like she has it to me."

"Of course she has it! Weren't you listening when your old man said she had it? He said Stein gave her antibiotics."

"Oh… right… well… I tend not to listen to what Papa says."

"Guess I can't blame you. Your old man thought Kris was my girlfriend the first time he met her."

"He's an idiot."

"But he _did_ make sure my baby sis was okay, so I guess I owe him one."

Maka grinned.

* * *

Once Kristen was given the all-clear by Stein to go back to her normal life, Liz declared that Kristen was going to join them on a Girl's Day. The youngest Evans child had never been on one, owing to her lack of consistent female figures in her life before moving to Death City. Soul muttered something about workaholic mothers, bitchy seven-year-olds, and rapidly-changing babysitters when Maka had asked what Kristen meant.

"So, let's start by giving you a makeover!" Patti cheered as they sat Kristen down in front of Liz's vanity.

"Um, why me?" Kristen asked.

"Because your hair is _soooo_ pretty!" Patti ran her fingers through Kristen's white locks. "It's so long and soft and silky!"

"She's not wrong," Maka giggled. "Come to think of it, I've only ever seen you with your hair down or in a ponytail."

"I like it simple. I follow K. I. S. S. Keep It Simple, Stupid. Well, that's what Soul always told me when I complained about my hair."

"Yeah, it's a miracle he ever got Maka to fall for him," teased Liz, looking at Maka, who blushed. "He's soooo tactful."

Once they'd finished Kristen's hair, Kristen insisted they braid Maka's. Although Maka initially protested, she soon relented once Kristen gave her the puppy-dog eyes.

* * *

"We're back!" Kristen called as she and Maka walked through the door.

"Hey, how was it…?" Soul asked, his tone drifting off as he looked at Maka. She looked so freakin' cute, with her hair wavy from the braid and down instead of in pigtails.

"It was fun," Maka replied. "We'll be doing it more often, that's for sure."

Kristen watched as they talked. A feeling began to settle in her stomach, one that told her how natural this was.

As the youngest of three children of a prominent couple, she hadn't seen much romantic love in real life. Her parents were rarely home and Wes's girlfriends seemed to change every other week. Even when her mom and dad _were_ home, they rarely spent any time together. Instead, her dad went outside the house (she suspected he had a mistress somewhere) and her mother was either rehearsing, sleeping, or shopping. Obviously, the love that had made them get married and have three children had faded with time, making them almost strangers.

Still, from everything she'd ever read or seen about romance, communication and chemistry were key. Soul and Maka had both; they literally combined souls sometimes. They were perfect together, like peanut butter and Nutella or macaroni and cheese. The only problem was that Maka thought Soul wasn't interested and vice versa.

Kristen's eyes scanned the kitchen, coming to rest on an invitation attached to the fridge.

The DWMA Anniversary Ball, slated to be two weeks from that day.

Slowly, a plan began to form in the twelve-year-old's mind. She had to get Maka and her brother together. She just had to.

* * *

 **And that concludes chapter two. Sorry if it's choppy and all over the place, but there was a lot I wanted to put in the story that wouldn't have made very good chapters all on their own.**

 **Now, before I end the chapter, I wanted to clarify on a couple of points.**

 **First of all, yes, everything listed as part of strep throat is** _ **actually**_ **true. I had to Google it because I'm not a doctor nor do I intend to become one. I didn't want to give her something life-threatening or go with the safe answer of the flu or chicken pox. No, I chose to go with something I haven't had in years. I'm seventeen now, so I'm out of the majority. Also, try to tell me that Stein** _ **wouldn't**_ **give Maka a medical encyclopedia for Christmas. I will fight you.**

 **Secondly, I wanted to set Spirit up as essentially a second father for Kristen, since her birth father is a horrible person. Their mom is nice, but she has a very demanding contract and isn't able to spend much time with her kids.**

 **Finally, the next "arc" of the story may be split into two parts, depending on how I feel about it.**

 **In other news, I need some help thinking of a better title than "Little Sister". It's too on-the-nose, so if anybody has any ideas, PM me or leave a comment.**

 **So long and thanks for all the fish!**


	3. Confession of the Best Kind

"Bye, guys!" Maka called as she headed out the door. "See you tomorrow!"

"See ya," Soul muttered, flipping through the channels on the TV. Kristen was lying on another couch, deeply invested in a book called _Dorothy Must Die_. She finished it and shut the book, sitting up and giving her brother a grin. "Okay, Kris. You've got that goofy grin again. What's up?" He picked up his can of soda and starting drinking from it.

"Do you like Maka?" she asked innocently. He choked on his soda, coughing and spluttering as he tried to regain his composure.

"W-what the hell are you talking about?!"

"I mean, do you _love_ her? All the stories she and the others have told me, about how you've protected her through thick and thin, how you're willing to die for her. And I've seen it."

"How much do you know about _love_? You're fucking _twelve_!"

"And I know Mommy and Daddy weren't a good example, but I know relationships take communication and chemistry—both things you and Maka excel at."

"Yeah, but it _also_ takes attraction, something that's one-sided here—" He cut himself off and facepalmed.

"So you _do_ love her!" Kristen squealed, bouncing like a rubber ball. "You _have_ to tell her how you feel, Soul!"

"No. Like I said, it's one-sided; my side. It could ruin everything if I… I try." Kristen let out a huff.

"Soul, I'm coming to you as your sister, who loves you very much and wants you to be happy, so listen up." She gripped his shoulders and began shaking him like a ragdoll. " _You are making yourself miserable! Stop wondering 'what if' and start trying!_ "

"Ouch!" he yelped, prying her off him. "Like I asked, how much do you know about love?!"

"I've heard too many stories where people were too scared to confess how they felt, and you know what happened to them?! They were all _fucking miserable_ , all because they were too _chicken-shit_ to follow what their heart said!"

"Are you calling me _chicken-shit_?!"

"If the shoe fits…!"

"Do you _want_ to see how much I care about Maka?!"

"Yes, because _obviously_ , you don't care enough to tell her the truth!"

"Here, I'll show you!"

Quickly, Soul grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head, revealing his scar to Kristen. Her mouth hung open in shock, no words coming out.

"W-what happened?" she croaked, finally.

"Remember us telling you about Crona? About how they had black blood and were the child of a witch? The first time we met them, Maka and I fought against them. We couldn't hurt them that badly because of the black blood. She refused to continue to use me as a shield, instead dodging Crona's attacks. She got backed into a corner and I refused to let her get hurt. Crona slashed me straight across the chest. I almost died." He put his shirt back on.

"Damn, Soul. Sorry."

"You know, I'm too cool to do something as romantic as confessing my undying love for her." Kristen gave him a gentle smile.

"We both know that's not true, Soul. You're a hopeless closet romantic with a mushy marshmallow center. What's stopping you from telling her?"

"…you know, getting sliced open with a sword made of black blood hurts like hell. It's even worse when you start drifting into madness because the black blood is part of _your_ blood, and there's a little demon in your soul constantly telling you to let him take control, to make you strong, when really he wants you to become completely insane. Before you know it, you're trapped in the push and pull of madness and reality, and the pain makes you want to end it all before you hurt or kill someone else."

"Oh, Soul…"

"That's why I can't tell her how I feel. I know she doesn't feel the same way, and she'll reject me. That pain will be ten times worse. Heartbreak hurts."

"I know it does."

"Who broke your heart?"

"You did. You basically left New York without a word, sending me _one_ letter after you teamed up with Maka. At least there's a chance for you to talk to her."

"I'm sorry I didn't contact you."

"I'm sorry I didn't think about how you felt."

They were silent for a moment before Kristen got to her feet.

"Okay, Soul. I'm going to help you confess to Maka."

"What the—were you not _listening_ , dumbass?! She _doesn't feel the same way_! Telling her is a one-way ticket to Heartbreak City, population me!"

"Which is why we're going to make it so fucking sweet and romantic that she _can't_ reject you!"

"Okay. I can see about a thousand things wrong with this plan already. You're only twelve and can't do the kind of stuff you see in movies and TV."

"Who said it's just me?"

"Kristen…"

"I'm calling in the cavalry! Don't worry about Maka coming home and finding out our plans, by the way." She pulled out her phone and dialed, putting it on speakerphone.

 _"Hello?"_ Soul heard Liz say on the other end.

"Hey, Liz?" Kristen replied. "I need to call in a favor."

 _"What is it?"_

"Could you, Patti, and Tsubaki keep Maka occupied until the Anniversary Ball? I need to prep Soul for his big, cheesy, cliché, mushy, romantic confession to her!" Soul tried to grab the phone, but she ducked out of his grip.

 _"Oh, hell yeah, Kristen. We gotcha."_

"Great. Call me if there's any issues."

She hung up and Soul banged his head into the wall.

"Guess what, Soul? That was call number one. I still have four more to make."

* * *

The next morning, Soul woke up to the smell of pancakes cooking. He got out of bed and went into the living room to see Kristen on the couch, chatting with Kid and Black*Star. Spirit was in the kitchen, flirting with Blair while she flipped the pancakes he'd been smelling.

"Okay, what the hell?!" Soul asked, shocked at the 'team' his baby sister had assembled.

"Good morning to you, too, brother dearest," Kristen joked before turning to the kitchen. "Blair, Spirit, we've gotta go."

"Good thing the food's done!" Blair purred, setting out plates. "Okay, to the car!"

"What's going on?!"

"You'll see. Bye, Soul!" Kristen dashed out the door, followed by Spirit and Blair.

Soul was alone with his two male friends.

"So, Soul," Kid began, clearing his throat. "I hear that you're planning a big confession to Maka."

"Uh, correction: my _sister's_ planning my big confession to Maka. Apparently, it's gonna be at the Anniversary Ball."

"Well, that's awful mushy and stupid," Black*Star commented.

"She said something about making it so romantic that Maka can't turn me down. I guess I can see where that came from…"

"Liz, Patti, and Tsubaki are more than willing to help," Kid added. "I don't know why _we're_ here, but I'm sure Kristen will explain once she gets back."

* * *

As soon as Kristen walked through the door, Soul regretted ever spilling his guts to her. She, Spirit, and Blair had gotten Wes.

"KRISTEN!"

"What? I _said_ I was calling in the cavalry because you, dear brother, need all the help you can get not to screw this up!"

"What makes you think I'm going to screw this up?"

"You're you," everyone else in the room replied.

"Wow, guys. Thanks for having faith in me."

"Okay, Soul," Kristen piped up. "Here's the plan. We have three days to get you ready for the Anniversary Ball, where you will confess to Maka how you feel."

"Can't I just wing it?"

"Soul, we all know that's a horrible idea. You'll chicken out."

"No, I won't!"

"Yes, you will."

"Fine. What's the plan?"

"Well, first, we've got to get you dressed to impress."

"Yeah, that's a given."

"And the rest of us are backup to make sure it goes smoothly!" Blair cheered.

"Okay, so why's he here?" Soul gestured to Spirit.

"Kristen explained just how much you love my little Maka," Spirit replied. "There's no other man on Earth I'd trust her with."

"Uh… thanks. That actually means a lot."

"But make no mistake! If you hurt her or break her heart, _I. WILL. FUCKING. KILL. YOU!_ "

" _There_ it is," chuckled Black*Star.

* * *

Logically, with so many people working together, there were bound to be a few hiccups. Kid and Kristen argued over how Soul should dress (pinstriped suit vs normal tux; Soul chose pinstriped). Wes seemed to have taken a liking to Blair, and vice versa, making it rather difficult to get any work out of those two. Working with Black*Star is always a productivity hazard. Spirit endlessly lectured Soul about taking things slow and taking care of Maka.

The biggest obstacle presented itself the day before the party in the form of a phone call to the apartment.

* * *

"Hello?" Kristen asked as she picked up the phone.

 _"Hello? Who is this?"_ the woman on the other end inquired.

"I'm Kristen."

 _"Okay. Kristen, is there a girl named Maka there? I'd like to talk to her."_

"Oh, Maka's not here right now. She's prepping for the Anniversary Ball with her other friends. May I ask who is calling and if I can take a message?"

 _"Yes. I'm Kami, Maka's mother. Tell her I'm coming home for the Anniversary Ball and that I can't wait to see her. Bye!"_

There was a _click_ as Kami hung up. Kristen just stood there, the receiver hanging loosely from her hand as she stared at it in shock.

"Hey, who was it?" Soul asked, snapping her out of her state.

"K-Kami… Maka's mom." Immediately, Soul reached for his phone so he could tell Maka, but Kristen hung up the landline and grabbed his phone first.

"Hey!"

"Dumbass! You didn't even ask what she said!"

"Okay! What did she say?"

"That she's coming home for the Anniversary Ball and can't wait to see Maka."

"Oh, shit."

"Exactly. This is the biggest fuck-up in our plans so far."

"No, I mean… I've never even _met_ her mom, and if we manage to pull this off, it might end badly."

"Pfft. Maka's never met Mommy or Daddy or Wes, but is that stopping you? Nooo."

"I hate you sometimes."

"I know."

* * *

The next day was a flurry of activity. Kristen was setting something up with Lord Death, according to Kid, and Soul couldn't help but feel like his sister was doing something stupid, embarrassing, or cliché. Probably all three.

"Good luck, little brother," Wes commented as Soul straightened his tie. "It's not every day you tell the love of your life how you feel."

"Oh, shut up! This was Kristen's idea and you know it."

"So you don't love her?"

"Oh, hell yeah, I do. I'd die if it meant she could live."

"Then what are you worried about?"

"Well, frankly, I'm a bit worried about Kristen's fascination with romance…"

"My fault, I'm afraid. She's been watching a little too much anime and a few too many rom-coms."

"Oh, so I blame you. Good to know."

* * *

At the DWMA, Kami Albarn stepped out of her cab. She wore a knee-length deep green dress that had half-sleeves, her resemblance to her daughter obvious. She had her blonde hair in a bun, two tendrils framing her face.

It was the first time she'd been in Death City in almost four years. There was really only one person she wanted to see, and that was her daughter.

The person she _saw_ , however, was her ex-husband.

"KAMI!" Spirit called, running over to her.

"Spirit," she replied coldly.

"I expected that." He gave her a patient smile. "Still, it's good to see you. You look as beautiful as ever."

"And you're still a flirtatious asshole."

"Heh. Maka says that to me at least once a week."

"Where _is_ Maka? I came to see her."

"She's not here yet." The ex-couple walked into the Academy, talking civilly.

* * *

Meanwhile, Soul was looking all over for Maka as music played in the background. He didn't notice the whispers and stares from his "fan club" over how hot he looked in his suit, or how Black*Star told them that he was taken.

All that mattered was Maka.

"Soul!"

He turned at the sound of her voice and—

 _Holy. Fucking. Shit!_

Liz, Patti, and Tsubaki had _definitely_ helped her out. Maka's hair was wavy, a purple rose tucked into her ash-blonde locks. Her dress was a short-sleeved, calf-length, deep purple number with an even deeper shade on the sash. It hugged her curves that had come in when he wasn't looking, but had a slightly poufy skirt that would flare out when she spun around. On her feet were a pair of black heels that made her already sexy legs look even sexier. He was barely able to stop his nosebleed before it happened.

"Hey, Maka," he greeted her, putting up his cool-guy front. "You look great."

"You think so?" She nervously twirled a hair around her finger. "I was a bit worried that it was too much."

"It's fine."

The music stopped and Soul and Maka looked towards the stage, where they could see Kristen stepping out, a microphone in hand. Suddenly, he realized what his sister was doing.

" _Hello, DWMA!_ " she greeted the crowd. " _My name is Kristen Evans, and I have a special song for all of you out there who are in love! Hit it!_ "

The piano started out. Soul held a hand out to Maka.

"Wanna dance?" he asked.

"Sure!" She took his hand, smiling as he pulled her close.

Kristen began singing "Somebody to Love" by Queen while Soul danced with Maka. His heart was pounding like a drum as he twirled his Meister around, her skirt fanning out as he did so.

" _Somebody to love…_ " finished Kristen. Soul had Maka in a dip, his face just inches from hers. She had an obvious blush on her face as he set her upright again.

"Hey, uh, Maka? Can we talk?"

"Sure." She followed him out to the balcony where she'd asked him to dance before Asura had gotten free. He was still grappling with his black blood then, much worse than now. "So, what did you want to talk about?" He cleared his throat and started fiddling with his tie and… wait, was he… _blushing_?

Soul 'Eater' Evans did many things, but blushing was _not_ one of them.

"Listen, Maka. We've been partners for a long time, and it means a lot to me. You know sides of me that nobody else does, sides I think I'm too cool to show. I just want to protect you for all eternity, because you're the best thing that's ever happened to me." Her breath hitched; was he doing what she thought he was doing? Because if so… hello, soulmate! "You're smart, nice, funny, a tad violent with a fiery temper, beautiful, sexy… I can't imagine my life without you. You keep me grounded when the demon tries to take over. You keep the madness at bay. I guess what I'm trying to say is… I love you, Maka, more than anything else in the world." He bowed his head, feeling exposed and raw.

She gasped. How long had she waited for those words to come out of Soul's mouth? He'd just told her how he felt, without any prompting from her. He'd laid all his cards on the table; it was time for her to respond.

"Soul… I love you, too." He snapped his head up to look at her, shock etched on his face.

"Y-you do?"

"I have for a long time. I just never said anything because I was scared of ruining our partnership…"

"Same here."

They were so close. He wondered if she could hear his heart beating. He could feel their souls resonating more intensely than ever as he leaned over and kissed her. She returned the action in earnest. It seemed like they'd be there for hours, but a camera flash interrupted them. They broke apart to see Kristen holding the instant camera Soul had given her for her eighth birthday. She was holding the picture, a smile on her face as she waved it to get it to develop.

"Kris!" Soul yelped.

"That's one for the scrapbook!" she declared with a smirk before dashing inside. Maka laughed and pecked Soul on the lips. They stood there for a minute, taking each other in before Kristen poked her head back out. "Oh, by the way, Maka, your dad's looking for you. You too, Soul."

"Let's see what the old man wants," chuckled Soul.

They headed inside holding hands, Soul's fan-club glaring at Maka as the new couple walked past. Neither really cared what anybody else thought.

"Maka! Soul!" Spirit called.

Kami turned to see her daughter walking towards them, holding hands with a white-haired boy. Maka's eyes widened as soon as she saw Kami.

"M-Mama?" she stammered in disbelief.

"Maka." Maka broke from the white-haired boy and hugged her mother.

"Mama, I missed you."

"I missed you, too." Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Spirit shaking the boy's hand. "Who's this?"

"This is my partner, Soul," Maka replied. Soul put an arm around Maka's shoulders.

"I'm also her boyfriend," he added. Kami glanced at Spirit, a bit surprised to see his approving smile.

"I didn't know you were going to be here," Maka informed her mother.

"I called your apartment and that Kristen girl said she'd give you the message."

"Wait, Kristen?"

"Yes. I thought _she_ was your partner."

"Nah, she's my sister," Soul corrected. "She lives with us."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Soul." Kami shook his hand. She had a look on her face that plainly said, 'If you turn out like Spirit, I will murder you.'

"Aw…" Kristen cooed as she watched them. "Isn't that cute?"

"You mean the fact that Kami looks like she's going to kill Soul?" Black*Star asked. "Yeah, that's _real_ cute."

"I was talking about the fact that Soul's confession went off without a hitch!"

"Oh, yeah?"

"I got a picture." She held it up.

* * *

 **And that's it!**

 **By the way, Kami** _ **is**_ **going to be a major player in the next chapter; I'm not letting her off the hook for leaving Maka so easily. Lady, I don't care if your** _ **ex**_ **-husband cheated on you; you do** _ **not**_ **abandon your little girl. Soul's going to rip into you and you're going to take it.**

 **So long and thanks for all the fish!**


	4. Lectures, Divorce, and Birthdays

**This story is actually really popular, so I'm going to post a new chapter at least once a week.**

 **Remember, I promised Kami would be confronted by Soul, and I have it worked out. He loves Maka and Kami caused her a lot of hidden pain, so he's more than a little pissed at Kami.**

 **Oh, and in response to something someone said in the reviews…**

 **Publishing content for any story is nerve-wracking because you never really know how it'll be received, particularly if your story is OC-centric. They have to mesh well with canon characters and have a distinct personality. You have to try to** _ **not**_ **make them a Mary Sue. I'm trying really hard here, guys, so forgive me if the story seems off. I'm really not used to writing OC-centric stories and I'm not going to make it a habit.**

* * *

"Soul, can we talk?"

The shark-toothed boy looked up at Kami, who had her arms folded.

After the party had ended, they'd headed to the Gallows Mansion, where everyone proceeded to have a good time. Maka had been whisked away by Kristen and the other girls, probably to giggle about how Soul had confessed; as for the other guys, they were in the midst of an intense argument about sports and what-have-you.

So, yeah. He was _totally_ able to talk to Kami.

His girlfriend's mother.

Who'd abandoned her for almost four years.

"Sure. Why not?"

They headed outside, at his suggestion so that they wouldn't be overheard by the guests.

"What did you want to talk about?" he asked Kami.

"Your intentions towards Maka, of course." He wanted to laugh; _now_ she cared?!

"I assure you, I love Maka to the moon and back. And that's saying a lot, considering we _have_ been to the moon and back."

"Oh, good. So there's not really anything to talk about."

"Yeah, there is, actually."

"What?"

"You. How could you abandon Maka like that?" He balled his fist. "Do you know what you put her through?! The only family she had after you left was her bastard of a father, who she refused to speak to! So, tell me: how am I supposed to feel about that?!"

"How dare you—"

"I dare for Maka's sake. You're probably leaving in a couple days to go around the world again and barely contact her." Kami shut her mouth. "My mom's pretty crappy, but at least she _called me_ every once in a while when I was living at home, to make sure I was okay and not, you know, _dead_. Maka gets, what, a scribble on a postcard once every few months? It's not cool and it's poisoned Maka's view on relationships."

"I-I have been a horrible mother, haven't I?" Kami asked softly. "I should've done more." She chuckled humorlessly. "Did you know I refused to have Spirit pay alimony or child support after the divorce? _That_ was a _horrible_ idea."

"He dotes on Maka. And my sister, too. I think he feels obligated to, since he was all Maka really had for a long time, and Kris never really _had_ a father."

"He's a better parent than me, that's for sure." Kami stared at the symmetrical tile pattern. "I want to be better. I know it's too late to help her through a lot of life, but I can sure as hell try."

"I'm not forgiving you, you know."

"I don't deserve to be forgiven."

"I'm holding you to your promise."

"I figured." She gave him a smile. "You're a good man, Soul. You care about Maka so much, much more than I've seen any man care about a woman."

"Thanks."

"Oh! There you are!"

The two turned to see Maka in the doorway. She had a look on her face that said she needed Soul to save her from the she-demons that were his sister and their female friends.

"Hey," Soul greeted her, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Let's go face the demons."

"I'll be there in a minute." He went inside while Maka decided to talk to her mother. "So, Mama, what do you think of Soul?"

"He's got a bit of an attitude, but his heart's in the right place. I can tell just how much he loves you."

"What did he say to you?!"

"He just gave me a lecture about being a better parent. He was completely right and I'm going to try to be a better mother from now on." Kami hugged her daughter before they both headed inside.

With everything going on, none of them knew of trouble that was brewing back in New York…

* * *

"Hello?" Kristen asked, picking up her phone.

 _"Hello, Kristen, darling,"_ the woman on the other end replied.

"Mommy?!"

 _"Yes, it's Mommy. Where are Wes and Soul?"_

"Oh, um… Wes is out shopping and Soul is… occupied."

 _"Kristen, listen carefully. I need you and your brothers to come home to New York, immediately."_

"What? Why?"

 _"It's just… I need all three of my babies with me right now."_

"Did something happen to Daddy?"

 _"I wish I could say no, Krismas. Something_ **is** _happening with your father, and that's why I need you all home, okay?"_

"B-but Soul and I still have school, and he's got his girlfriend, and—"

 _"Talk to your teachers, and have Soul bring his girlfriend with him. I'd love to meet her."_

"O-okay, Mommy. Love you."

 _"Love you, too, baby girl."_

 _Click_.

Soul entered the living room to find Kristen staring at her phone.

"Kris?" he asked, waving a hand in front of her face. "What's wrong?"

"M-Mommy wants you, me, and Wes to come home."

"The fuck?!"

"She says something's happening with Daddy and she needs us all there right now."

"Did you tell her we have school?!"

"Yeah… and I told her about Maka… she said we could bring her."

"God dammit!" He sat down on the couch and buried his face in his hands.

"Soul, we have to go. Mommy needs us. She sounded like she was crying…"

"Fucking dammit! Why do you two love to guilt-trip me?!"

"Soul."

"All right, fine. We'll leave in a couple days."

* * *

Sure enough, two days later, Wes, Soul, Kristen, and Maka were standing in front of the mansion the Evans family lived in. They entered the house, Maka feeling _incredibly_ uncomfortable.

"Soul! Wes! Kristen!"

A woman with white hair in a braid came into the foyer, her red eyes full of joy at seeing her children. She swept all three up in a hug, despite the fact that both of her sons were at least a foot taller than her.

"I've missed my babies!" she sighed, letting them go. Her gaze landed on Maka. "You must be Soul's girlfriend that Kristen mentioned. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"My name's Maka, and it's a pleasure to meet you, too, Mrs. Evans."

"Please, call me Holly. Mrs. Evans is my mother-in-law."

"Mom, what's going on with Dad?" Soul asked. Holly turned to her middle child, biting her lip.

"He's in the living room. I'll have Margaret show Maka to one of the guest rooms so we can talk. She can sleep near you, if that's okay."

"That's perfect."

Margaret, a heavyset woman with dark red hair and a no-nonsense attitude, led Maka upstairs, carrying her suitcase while Maka shot Soul a comforting smile.

The Evans kids followed their mother into the living room, where their father was waiting. He was a tall man with blonde hair and brown eyes, his shark-like teeth being his only resemblance to his children. He looked at the three, obviously trying to make sure they met his standards. Kristen noticed that he had lipstick on his neck, a gaudy red shade that their mother would never wear in a million years. She gripped her skirt, feeling angry that he was flaunting his affair so obviously in front of her poor mother.

"So, why did you need us home so urgently?" Soul asked.

"Well…" Holly began, sitting on the opposite side of the living room from her husband. "You may want to sit down." She patted the seat next to her for her daughter. All three sat down. "Hayden… do you want to tell them?"

"Your mother and I, as I'm sure you know," Hayden began, crossing his arms, "have been having some… difficulties. We've decided to… go our separate ways."

"You're getting a _divorce_?!" Kristen squeaked.

"Yes. We needed you three home so we could tell you in person."

"And so we could work out custody," added Holly.

"Custody?!" repeated Soul.

"Soul, you won't be a legal adult for another eight months and Kristen's turning thirteen in two. I don't want to hear it."

"What about the house?" Wes asked. "Who's getting it?"

"We don't know yet. You'll all have to be patient while we work this out."

"Okay, Mommy." Kristen gave her mother a comforting hug while glaring at her father in a way that reminded Soul of Maka.

* * *

"So, why did your parents want you home?" Maka asked as she and Soul walked through Central Park on a date.

"It turns out… they're getting a divorce."

"Oh, Soul…"

"It's fine. My dad always _was_ more of a bastard than yours."

"Your mom is taking it well."

"Well, to be honest, I think she's putting on a brave front for me, Kris, and Wes. I don't need it, though."

"Papa tried to do the same thing when he and Mama were getting divorced. He thought I didn't know what was happening."

"Yeah, well, he's an idiot. But… the way Kristen was glaring at Dad… it's almost like she completely blames him for the divorce. She reminded me of you."

"Aw… you're so sweet." She pecked him on the cheek. "But I'm still going to talk to her, okay?"

"Okay."

* * *

"So, Kristen, do you blame your dad for the divorce?"

"Of _course_ I do!" Kristen told Maka. "He's had this one mistress since… well… I don't know when, but I know he does because he sometimes has this red shade of lipstick on his neck that Mommy would never wear in a million years!"

"How do you even _know_ what a mistress is?"

"Anime and movies." She had a sheepish look on her face. Maka pinched the bridge of her nose.

"We're having a serious discussion with Soul about that."

"No, Wes just never really restricted what I was watching when I lived here, so I had free reign."

"Both your brothers are idiots."

"I know."

For a month, they stayed in New York while the divorce was finalized. Holly won custody, of course, but she didn't get the house. Instead, she ended up moving to Nevada where she could one-hundred-percent avoid her ex-husband and be closer to her younger kids without intruding on their lives. Wes traveled a lot as it stood, so she wasn't worried about him as much as her younger ones.

* * *

December 4, Kristen's birthday.

" _Happy birthday, dear Kitten! Happy birthday to you!_ " sang Blair as she set a plate of pancakes in front of Kristen. "Today's your day, sweetie! Mama Blair's gonna be here all day and your real mama's coming to visit!"

Kristen gave Blair a smile; in the four months they'd known each other, they'd formed a bond that was akin to a mother and daughter. It had affected Blair's behavior; she no longer tried to seduce Soul in the mornings (and there was also the whole he's-with-Maka-and-won't-be-a-cheating-bastard-like-her-dad thing) and wore far less revealing clothing in an effort to set a good example for her kitten.

Granted, she worked at what was essentially a strip club, but still…

"Happy birthday, kiddo," Soul chuckled, ruffling his baby sister's hair. "You're finally a teenager."

"And right when you're almost an adult, too," she mock-pouted.

"Eh, I'll live. My life's too great right now to be ruined by something like adulthood."

"And what's so great about it?"

"I've got a great job, great friends, an amazingly smart and sexy girlfriend, and my baby sister. What could be better?"

"Who are you and what have you done with my pessimistic brother?"

Maka burst out laughing, followed by the other two females in the apartment. Soul wrapped an arm around Maka's waist in response, pulling her onto his lap so that she was facing him. She let out a squeak of surprise before he gave her a kiss, only to get a whack from Blair.

"Hey! No hanky-panky in the kitchen in front of Kitten!"

All four of them started laughing, Maka sliding from Soul's lap.

"We've got to get ready for the party, remember?" she whispered in his ear.

"Well, we'll be going now," Soul said, grabbing his girlfriend's hand and leading her out the door.

* * *

That evening, once Holly had gone back home after spending the day with her daughter, poor Kristen found herself at the mercy of her brother's friends. Black*Star had a bottle of alcohol (read: bottle _s_ ) and extended one to her—a bottle of beer.

"C'mon, drink!" he urged. "We've all had a bottle or two!"

"Or hundred, in your case," muttered Kid.

"Um… okay…" She took a small sip and started coughing, hating the bitter taste. "Ugh! That's disgusting!"

"You have to finish the bottle! It's part of your initiation into the world of Spartoi!"

Kristen managed to choke down the entire bottle, but seeing as she was a very petite girl who'd never had a drink stronger than coffee in her life, she started looking a little tipsy. She reached for another bottle, which Black*Star gave her happily. She chugged it down, coughing a lot less this time. The now-thirteen-year-old swayed unsteadily on her feet, hiccupping just as Liz, Patti, and Tsubaki entered the room. Liz took one look at the bottle in Kristen's hand and clocked Kid while Patti hit Black*Star.

"YOU _IDIOTS_!" Liz screeched. "SOUL AND MAKA ARE GOING TO _KILL_ YOU FOR THIS IF I DON'T DO IT FIRST!"

"What did _I_ do?!" Kid snapped.

"You didn't _stop Black*Star from getting a thirteen-year-old drunk_! She's not even old enough to _drive_ yet, lucky for you!"

"Rite of passage!" yelled Black*Star, earning a hit from Tsubaki.

"I thought we agreed the age was fifteen!" she chided her Meister.

" _You_ all said that, not me! I'm the one who makes the rules! _I AM GOD_!"

Taking a leaf from Maka's book (no pun intended), Liz grabbed a heavy encyclopedia off the shelf.

"LIZ CHOP!" She brought it down on Black*Star's head, knocking him unconscious for the time being. "Now, what are we going to do about this?"

"Hi, Kid~" Kristen giggled, clinging to the Reaper's arm. He felt very uncomfortable all of a sudden.

"Liz, you may want to think of something quickly!" he urged, trying in vain to peel Kristen off him.

"Coffee?" Tsubaki suggested.

"Nah, they're out," Black*Star groaned as he woke up, rubbing his head. "I already checked."

"Get her off me!" Kid begged. Kristen had moved to his back, her legs wrapped around his waist. Liz rolled her eyes and began trying to pry her arms apart while Patti went for her legs. They failed, Kristen moving back onto his arm.

"I-*hic*-like you, Kid~" she slurred.

"If she's Soul's sister, maybe she just needs to sleep it off!" Patti giggled. "Sorry, Kid, but you'll have to sleep with her in a nonsexual way!"

"Oh, thank _God_ it's nonsexual. She's not of age!"

Wordlessly, the Thompsons pushed Kid onto the couch, where Kristen cuddled up next to him, hugging his arm tightly. She fell asleep within a few minutes, her death grip on Kid not lessening with sleep.

"Who wants a drink?" Black*Star asked.

By the time Maka and Soul came back from getting Kristen's present, Black*Star was unconscious from drinking, just like Kristen. Kid had fallen asleep next to the birthday girl, the Thompson sisters draped on top of Tsubaki on one of the chairs. Soul narrowed his eyes at the smell of alcohol in the apartment.

"I'm going to kill Black*Star…" he growled, his gaze landing on the cuddling Kid and Kristen. "And Kid, too."

"We'll do that in the morning," Maka whispered. "Let them sleep."

"And we can sleep." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively and she gave him a shove.

"Not tonight, mister. Besides, I'm tired."

"Aw…"

"Maybe next time Kristen's out of the apartment, though…"

"Oh, _God_ , I love you." He kissed her before they headed off to bed.

* * *

THE NEXT MORNING

Kristen woke up to a raging headache and something in her arms. She groaned weakly and opened her eyes to see Death the Kid asleep next to her, cuddled up like Blair. Immediately she screamed, waking up everyone else in the apartment. Kid shot up and fell off the couch, Black*Star whacked his head on the coffee table, Liz and Patti fell on top of each other, and Tsubaki looked into the room from the kitchen. Soul's door banged open as he ran into the living room, Maka emerging in one of his shirts.

"WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED LAST NIGHT?!" Kristen shrieked.

"You got drunk is what happened," Kid grumbled, rubbing his head.

"BLACK*STAR, YOU BASTARD!"

"Well, at least she remembered it was me…" Black*Star chuckled. Kristen's face turned bright red as she looked at Kid and she dashed to her room (Maka had moved out after she and Soul had started dating). Soul glared at his friend.

"Hey!" Kid protested, holding up his hands. "I didn't do anything to her! She just has a death grip!"

"Why was she on you in the _first place_?!"

"She just latched onto me when the alcohol kicked in! Other than that, I had nothing to do with it!"

"I'm going to check on her," Maka said, heading into her old room.

And so began the awkwardness of age 13 for Kristen.

* * *

 **And done!**

 **I know that this chapter isn't that great, but a new chapter every week is hard to do. Plus, I was at Universal for most of last week, severely cutting into my writing time since I left my computer at home.**

 **So, some things that need to be cleared up, thanks to this chapter: yes, Holly will be more present in the story than Hayden. I named her something related to winter to be ironic since she's so warm, while Hayden's name is associated with fire and he's cold :3.**

 **I** _ **am**_ **setting up several things for new chapters; for one, yes, Kid and Kristen will have an awkward romance (much, much later on) and Soul and Maka will be doing the nasty (not writing that; I'm sick of people badmouthing my** _ **nonexplicit lemons**_ **!). This, of course, will lead to a pregnancy for Maka and funny business.**

 **So long and thanks for all the fish!**


	5. Broadway and Movies

**Chapter five is here now, so you people can see that I keep my promises…**

 **I've decided that Kristen will not have an official Meister (other than Maka when Soul isn't available) as it would detract from building relationships between her and other characters. Soul** _ **is**_ **an overprotective brother, and this chapter will be one where we discover just how "innocent" Kristen is and we'll see her go on her first mission. Yay! Also, technically, she's my daughter, so… yeah. I'm a horrible parent! Just ask the Baby Think It Over doll I took care of.**

* * *

"I miss Broadway."

Soul looked up at his sister. She was upside down on one of the chairs, her hair pooling on the floor while her legs hooked over the back. Black*Star burst out laughing.

"Of course you do!" he snorted. "It's so fucking _girly_!"

"No, it's not!" she protested. "It's awesome!"

"Name _one_ that I would like."

" _American Idiot_ , because that's you."

"Ouch, low blow, Baby Evans."

"Oh, you know people have called you worse!"

"Hey, Broadway's pretty good," Soul interjected. "I've enjoyed it in the past."

"Really, bro?"

"Really. _American Idiot_ 's the best."

"Nuh-uh!" snapped Kristen, sitting up. " _Heathers_ is!"

"Please! It's about high schoolers fucking and murdering each other and committing suicide! How is _that_ entertaining?!"

"Because Veronica is a _great_ character and it's always nice to see the little guy win!"

"How is Veronica 'the little guy'?!"

"What would you call Heather Chandler?"

"A bitch!"

"Stop it, girls, you're both pretty," Maka chuckled, getting between the two. "Look, you're both entitled to your own opinion."

"At least _Heathers_ actually had a clear story to follow since it was based off a _movie_ and not a rock album. And I'm not slamming Green Day; I'm just saying _Heathers_ has a clearer story!"

"Okay, you got me there."

"What's so great about _Heathers_?" Black*Star groaned. "I mean besides the murder and fucking."

"Veronica basically falls for this kid named JD and they sleep together, and he accidentally murders Heather Chandler. They make it look like suicide and that starts something not-so-good," Kristen summarized. "Basically, a whole bunch of people try to commit suicide and two guys get _shot_ because they're gay and JD wants to blow up the school during a pep rally but ends up blowing up the football field instead."

"That's… actually pretty hardcore."

"I saw it with them in New York," Maka interjected. "Kristen insisted."

"Because you and Soul are like JD and Veronica before he kills Heather! All cute and stuff and he wants to get revenge on people who hurt you…"

"Hey, I am _not_ that asshole!" Soul snapped. "I'm not some crazy bastard who'd kill a girl with drain cleaner and blow himself up!"

"But you _would_ kill somebody if it meant Maka was safe!" sang Kristen. Soul lunged for his sister, a blush on his face. She sidestepped him easily, laughing all the while.

"Aw, is somebody embarrassed?" Liz taunted.

"Shut up, Liz!"

"I think it's sweet," Maka murmured. She grabbed Soul's wrist and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Love you, Soul."

"Love you, too, Maka." He was blushing again, this time from something else.

"AHEM!" coughed Black*Star. "Your god demands physical contact be kept to a minimum in his presence! Your god also demands to hear some of this musical!"

"Goodie!" giggled Kristen, running to her iPod. "What do you say to being a dead girl walking, Maka?"

"I SAY FUCK NO!" Soul yelled, but it was too late. His sister had already hooked up the iPod and started playing the song.

" _The demon queen of high school has decreed it,_ " Kristen sang with the singer. " _She says Monday, 8 AM I will be deleted. They'll hunt me down in study hall, stuff and mount me on the wall. Thirty hours to live, how shall I spend them?"_

Soul tackled his sister to the couch, making everyone laugh. The song was turned off just as Veronica was telling JD to sleep with her.

"Fine, I admit it," Black*Star grumbled. "Broadway's… okay."

"Great!" chirped Kristen, a smile on her face. "I'm taking you all to see _American Idiot_ next month!"

"Yes!" Soul cheered.

* * *

Two weeks later, while Soul was on a Death Scythe assignment, Kristen decided she wanted to fight a Kishin.

" _Please_ , Maka?" she begged, giving the older girl the puppy-dog eyes that always worked on her brother.

"Okay. We'll go, but you have to promise to be careful. I'll never hear the end of it from Soul if either of us get hurt."

"YAY!"

Their mission was a simple one—find and kill a Kishin that had been swallowing human souls in a little town in South Carolina. It was a low-level one, meaning it'd be easy for Maka and easy on Kristen for her first time in the field. Kristen was excited; Maka was apprehensive since it was the first time she'd really wielded another Weapon besides Soul.

Then again, Soul and Kristen had very similar wavelengths, so…

It didn't take them long to find the thing they were looking for. It was hiding in a local forest, where humans regularly went for recreation. In fact, a Girl Scout troop was arriving just as they did, a girl with cat-eye glasses staring at Maka and Kristen as they hurried into the woods. Kristen could hear the leader calling to the girl to stay with the group, but it didn't register in her mind.

The Kishin proved to be difficult to find. According to reports, it attacked out of nowhere, concealing itself like a chameleon. Luckily, it didn't take long to find, thanks to Maka's Soul Perception. Kristen drew in the dirt with a stick while her brother's girlfriend gazed around. They tracked it for seemingly hours. By the time they found it, it had a victim in front of it—the girl from the Girl Scout troop, the one with the cat-eye glasses.

"HELP!" the girl shrieked in fear.

"Kristen, transform!" Maka ordered. Kristen turned into her scythe form—essentially a black and purple version of her brother before he'd become a Death Scythe. They caught the Kishin off-guard and Maka sliced through it with ease, leaving nothing but the soul behind. Kristen transformed back and grabbed the soul.

"How do I absorb it?" she asked.

"Well, Soul likes to swallow them, but you can—" Kristen opened her mouth and placed it on her tongue, swallowing it much like her brother did "—do it however you want."

"Th-thank you!" the girl stammered. "That was amazing! Something straight out of an anime!"

"Well, you're welcome," Kristen replied.

"Do… do you think you could help me back to my troop? Joanna will be looking for me…"

"Not a problem," Maka told the girl, helping her to her feet.

When they reached the troop, a tall girl with blonde hair broke away and dashed towards the other girl.

"CASEY!" she yelled, hugging her. "We were so worried when that… that _thing_ dragged you away!"

"I'm fine, now," Casey replied. "Thanks to these two."

"Thank you!" a woman who was obviously their troop leader breathed. "I don't know what we would've done without her."

"Just doing our job," Maka admitted.

* * *

Back in Death City, Kristen was bouncing all over the apartment with excitement, her natural energy heightened by the soul she'd consumed.

"Do you think Soul will be proud of me?" she asked Maka.

"I bet he will. You should've seen him after he swallowed _his_ first soul. He was grinning for days."

"It's because he's a big goofball. Did you know he cried the first time we saw the movie _Up_?" Maka's jaw dropped.

"Oh my God, I can see that!"

"He's more sensitive than Wes; at least, that's what Mommy said. He's the one who helped me hide the baby mouse I found abandoned in the park when I was four and he took care of it sometimes." Her smile faded. "Millie died not long after he left for the DWMA. I think she missed him because she stopped eating after he was gone."

"That's adorable but sad."

"She had a good life. Besides, if she was still alive, I'd've brought her to Death City and she'd be gone by now."

"Oh, yeah. Blair."

"That isn't saying I don't want a pet… I just want something a cat won't eat. Like a dog."

"Blair will move out faster than we can get it settled."

"Get what settled?" Soul asked, stepping into the apartment.

"A dog," Kristen replied with a smile. "I know how much you love animals. I told her about Millie the mouse."

"You did _not_."

"She did and it's cute!" Maka protested. "It lets me know another side of you."

"Okay… only for you, Angel." He leaned in and kissed his girlfriend. Kristen hid her matchmaker smile behind her favorite book.

"If you two want some privacy, I can go to Kid's and—"

"Absolutely not. What if there's alcohol?"

"A: it was one time. B: I'm not of age and Kid knows that. C: I hate the taste of alcohol."

"Still, the fact that you were _cuddling_ with him—"

"Hey, mister, you're one to talk," Maka interrupted. "You were doing worse than _cuddling_ with Blair when you were thirteen."

"I thought we were past this, Maka."

"It's just blackmail material now. Since I _know_ you prefer me in all my flat-chested glory."

"AGH!" Soul sputtered, holding his chest in fake pain. "How will I ever live?!"

"Dork," giggled Kristen, bopping her brother's head lightly with her book.

"Still better than a Maka-chop."

"Hers are teasing. Mine are for real, buster," Maka snorted, holding up a dictionary. He reflexively covered his head.

"D'aww… I'm going to Kid's."

Kristen had grabbed her bag and headed out the door before Soul could grab her.

"Let her go," Maka advised. "She's not a kid anymore, Soul."

"She's still my baby sister."

"Your Spirit is showing."

"Shit."

"I can't wait to see what you'll be like when we have a daughter."

"Nope. Not doing it." He went for the kitchen, but she grabbed his wrist.

"I don't mean _now_ , dork. I mean down the line."

"Oh. Yeah, I'm gonna be like your dad, only _cooler_."

"I expect nothing less." She kissed him on the cheek. He scooped her up and brought her into their bedroom.

* * *

"…and I waited until Maka had him distracted. Then I booked it here."

"Smart girl," Liz complimented. "Then again, your brother's never been hard to distract when it comes to the female species."

"Only Maka. Or Blair."

"Because he _looooves_ Maka!" giggled Patti.

"I _may_ have brought up his more sensitive attributes, too. Like crying during movies and the fact he's an animal lover."

"Liz, have you seen my—" Kid began, coming into the room. His face turned pink as he saw Kristen and he turned away. "Never mind. You have company."

Liz glanced at Kristen and noted the white-haired girl had just as much of a blush as Kid did. Obviously, the incident from a month earlier hadn't been forgotten. It was kind of cute, actually; Kristen found Kid's OCD a bit annoying yet endearing and while Kid hadn't _explicitly_ said anything that implied he was attracted to her, he _had_ been far gentler with her than he had in the past with any of the other girls in their group. Hence why he was willing to let a drunk Kristen hang onto him on her birthday and cuddle with her.

"I'd go home, but I don't think Soul and Maka want to be disturbed…" Kristen whispered to Patti. Patti snickered.

"I'll… find it tomorrow!" Kid yelped, running out of the room.

"Aw!" Liz cooed, hugging Kristen. "Looks like it's not just _male_ members of the Evans family who can be heartthrobs."

"Shut up!" Kristen whined. "Kid's not into me! I'm only thirteen and he's almost an adult! Do you _know_ how weird that is?!"

"There's been weirder. But Kid hasn't been able to be in the same room as you for long in a while."

"Because I embarrassed him by trying to cuddle with him while I was drunk off my ass on my birthday? Yeah, I wouldn't be able to be in the same room as me for long, either."

"Oh, come on. We all know you have a thing for him."

"So? I'm thirteen. It's _normal_."

"Your brother met his soulmate at thirteen."

"I'm not my brother!"

"Besides, it's cute."

"Cute? Yeah, I'm cute. I'm a tiny female version of my brother. Kid's cute. But we are _not_ cute together."

"Denial's more than a river in Egypt."

"UGH! Stop it."

"Geez, sorry! I didn't realize it was such a sore spot for you."

"Let's just say the last time I had a crush, it didn't end so well."

Liz frowned.

"What happened?"

"Guy I had a crush on turned out to be a jackass and clocked me for trying to talk to him."

"Damn. What the hell was wrong with him?"

"He was somebody who'd been bullying me for a while and it was a couple years after Soul left. He took it as an opportunity to hit me without consequences. Since my brother wasn't around, you know?"

"Asshole. Did you tell Soul about it?"

"Fuck no. Do you know what would happen?"

"Did you at least get back at that douche?"

"Of course. I didn't spend years taking self-defense classes for nothing!"

"Good girl."

* * *

The next morning, Kristen headed back to the apartment to find Soul and Maka on the couch. She was wearing his shirt and had fresh-looking little bruises up and down her neck. Along with a couple… bite marks?

 _Damn. Didn't know Soul was such a sadist. Or that she was a masochist._

"Hey," Kristen greeted them.

"How was Kid's?" Maka asked.

"A little awkward, considering he refused to be in the same room as me for longer than thirty seconds, but it was fun. I don't even need to ask about your night." She gave them a suggestive smirk. Maka blushed but snuggled up to Soul. Kristen made herself comfortable on a chair. "So, I was wondering what you two wanted to do today?"

"Snuggle on the couch and watch movies," Soul answered simply.

"I guess I can stay in the chair." She shifted with a smile. "What movie? How about _Up_?" Maka stifled a giggle. "I know! How about a _Harry Potter_ marathon?"

" _Harry Potter_?" Maka asked, tilting her head. "What's that?"

"Maka!" Soul gasped in fake shock. "I'm surprised you haven't heard of one of the best-selling book series of all time!"

"Wait, _book series_?"

"And billion-dollar movie franchise!" added Kristen. "And theme parks!"

"I'm willing to try it out," Maka decided.

"Good, because I've only read the books."

"Same here," Soul declared.

"Liar."

"Okay, yeah, I read the CliffsNotes version."

"Cheater," Maka snapped.

"I'll get them started," offered Kristen.

The rest of the day was spent enjoying all eight _Harry Potter_ movies. Maka was deeply invested in the story.

"You know, I really identify with Hermione," Maka told Soul as Kristen changed it to _Half-Blood Prince_.

"Figures. You're both really sexy bookworms with a fiery streak." He ran a hand over her legs. She smacked that hand and gestured to Kristen with her head. "Sorry."

"We'll wait until she goes to sleep. She's like a rock."

" _God_ , I love you." He kissed her just as Dumbledore and Harry Apparated.

* * *

 **And that's the end of that. Well, what do you know? Two chapters this week!**

 **By the way, the Girl Scout troop in this chapter is my troop. Just sayin'.**

 **I got a review recently that made me happy. Someone said that I inspired them to write a fanfic of their own. I hope that they continue to read fanfiction along with writing it because it can help guide you out of your comfort zone; at least, that's been** _ **my**_ **experience.**

 **So long and thanks for all the fish!**


	6. Bitchy Ava

"I brought them!" Holly announced as she set down three scrapbooks on the table. Maka propped herself up on her elbows out of curiosity.

"What are they?" she asked.

"Well, Margaret was Soul and Kristen's caretaker when they were small, and she _loved_ scrapbooking, so we have all of these pictures of them in the scrapbooks for you to look at today! Let's start with my favorite." She picked up the purple scrapbook and opened it to a page that had a five-year-old Soul asleep on a couch, a very tiny baby snoozing on top of him. It was obviously Kristen.

"Ooh, I love that one!" Kristen giggled. "This one's _my_ favorite." She flipped to another page, where a three-year-old Kristen was squished between eight-year-old Soul and thirteen-year-old Wes. She had her tiny arms wrapped around Soul's arm while Wes had one around them both.

"Here's Soul the first time he held his sister, when she was four months old!" Holly gushed, flipping to the picture. Soul was holding his sister with a big smile on his face, one that he wore only when he was in private.

"She's so small…" Maka murmured.

"I've always been small," Kristen sighed.

"You see, she was born two months premature," Holly explained, a sad smile on her face. "I carried both Wes and Soul to full term, so it was a bit of a shock when she started coming two months early. They kept her in the NICU for four months after she was born, just to make sure there weren't any complications. I was released, but I stayed in the hospital almost full-time afterwards. I wanted to be near my baby. Soul stayed with me since Wes had school and their father had work. He was so excited to be a big brother, no matter how big his sister was."

"But a _lot_ of premature babies grow to a large size, so I don't see why _I_ haven't."

"It's also genetics, Krismas. I'm a fairly small person myself."

"Oh, yeah…"

"Anyway, back to the pictures. This is Soul and his friend, Ava." She turned to a picture of twelve-year-old Soul standing next to a pretty girl with wavy brown hair and green eyes. Despite the fact that she was around his age, she already had a bust that was outlined by her shirt. Soul looked uncomfortable with Ava leaning on his shoulder, a broody look on his face that contrasted with her beaming grin.

"Who's Ava?" Maka asked.

"She's my friend Saoirse's daughter," Holly explained. "She's a year younger than Soul and she's quite the actress. And dancer." Maka's face fell. "Oh, don't worry, honey. Ava can't hold a candle to you."

"Thank you…"

"Actually, now that I think about it, Saoirse is bringing Ava to Death City for a visit. They'll be here for a while and I know Ava's been talking about seeing Soul."

"When are they arriving?"

"In a week. They'll be staying with me."

"Who's staying with you?" Soul asked, coming in and hanging up his keys.

"Saoirse and Ava. You remember them, right?"

"Yeah, Aunt Saoirse and little Ava."

"She's not so little anymore, Soul."

"If you're trying to—"

"Oh, heavens, no! Like I just finished telling Maka, Ava can't hold a candle to her."

"Good, because I'm with her for the long haul." He kissed Maka on the cheek and noticed the photo albums. "Mom, what are you doing?"

"I'm simply showing Maka pictures of you as a child."

"I _love_ the ones where you're cuddling with Kristen," Maka giggled. "See, I _knew_ you were a cuddler." Soul's cheeks turned pink.

"Yeah, yeah, blame Baby Evans," he muttered.

"Hey!" Kristen yelped, smacking her brother's arm. "Only Black*Star is allowed to call me that!"

"Ouch! Dammit, Kris!"

"Well, at any rate, I should be getting home," Holly sighed. "I'll see you soon."

"Bye, Mom," Soul replied as Kristen said "Bye, Mommy!" and Maka chorused in with "See you soon, Holly!"

"Soul, you were such a cute kid," Maka commented, turning a page in the album.

"Yeah. I blame Kristen for that."

"Why? I'm not your parent!"

"I mean with the cuddling. You always wanted _me, specifically_ to hug you or read to you."

"Because you're a great brother. Besides, apparently, it was good practice for when you got with Maka."

"Thanks, kid."

* * *

"Is she here yet?" Kristen asked, looking around the restaurant for her mother.

"No, not yet, Kris," Soul replied, yanking his sister back into her seat. "Sit down."

"You don't have to be testy just because you're seeing your _ex-girlfriend_ —" Soul slapped a hand over her mouth, but Maka had heard. She raised her eyebrows.

"'Ex-girlfriend', Soul?"

"Okay, fine, Ava and I had a thing going before I left New York, but I _swear_ I don't have anything for her anymore. Only you, babe."

"There they are!" Kristen piped up. Holly made her way through the crowd followed by a woman with curly brown hair and a drop-dead gorgeous girl who could only be Ava.

"Soul! Maka! Krismas!" Holly greeted the three, giving a big hug before turning to her companions. "This is Saoirse and Ava."

"Pleasure ta meetcha!" Saoirse told Maka with an Irish accent. "Holly's told us a lot aboutcha. And Soul, Kristen, it's been awhile."

"Hey, Aunt Saoirse," Soul replied. "Hey, Ava."

"Soul," Ava purred, a seductive smile on her face as she slid into the booth across from him. Maka was on one side of him (the side that allowed her to exit quickly) and Kristen was by the window. Saoirse sat across from Kristen while Holly sat across from Maka.

"So, Maka, how do ya know Soul?" Saoirse asked after they'd ordered.

"I'm his Meister, his roommate, and his girlfriend," she replied with a slight blush as he squeezed her hand. Ava pursed her lips as if annoyed by the thought of Soul having a girlfriend.

"Yer a fair lass, tha's fer sure. An' a smart one. Ya'd have ta be, ta keep this one in line." She jabbed a thumb towards Kristen, who'd popped the lemon from her drink in her mouth.

"She's a handful sometimes, but she means well."

After lunch, Holly and Saoirse headed off to explore the city while Maka, Soul, and Kristen were left with Ava. They stood awkwardly for a bit before Soul cleared his throat.

"So, Ava, how do you feel about meeting some of our friends?"

"I'd _love_ to!" she replied.

"Kid's throwing a party tonight," Kristen pointed out. "Me and Maka could get ready with Ava while you play video games with Black*Star."

"Good plan."

* * *

At the apartment, after Ava had gotten a trunk from Holly's, Kristen giddily made snacks in the kitchen while Ava and Maka sat in Maka and Soul's room. Ava glanced around and realized both Maka _and_ Soul's clothing was in the closet. She narrowed her eyes at the ash blonde.

"So, you're Soul's girlfriend?"

"Yes, going on six months now."

"And you _already_ live with him?"

"We've lived together since we became partners, but we only started dating recently."

"My, my. You're already having sex with him, too."

"Not _all_ the time."

"Probably because he knows he could do better than you." Maka stared at the brunette, her jaw hanging open.

"Wh-what?!"

"You heard me, Maka. He could do _so_ much better." She glanced at Maka's chest. "Someone better equipped to deal with him and his needs. You're underdeveloped, plain, and, based on your reaction, insecure. He needs someone prettier and sexier and more confident. Like me."

Maka stared at the blanket on her and Soul's bed, tears pricking behind her eyes. Ava was right; she _was_ plain and undeveloped and insecure. Soul deserved better than a flat-chested bookworm who hit him for breathing wrong. He deserved someone who'd treat him better.

"See? I'm telling you, Maka. Soul's out of your league."

The door swung open to reveal an enraged Kristen. She marched up to Ava and slapped her.

"Ow! Krissy!"

"No! You don't _get_ to call me Krissy, you bitch!"

"What did _I_ do?!"

"You made Maka upset!"

"How could _you_ tell?! You were in another room!"

"I could feel it! You were glaring at her all through lunch and now her soul sends out a distress call?! It doesn't take a genius to connect the dots, Ava."

"I was only telling the truth—"

"Come on." Kristen yanked on Ava's hand, dragging the trunk with her into the living room. "Go. Go back to my mom's and get ready there. We'll meet you at the party. Who knows? Maybe you'll find some jackass to sleep with."

"I-I—"

"GO!" Kristen shoved her towards the door. Ava huffed and left. The little Scythe ran back to her 'sister', who was sobbing on the bed. "Maka, she's gone."

"No, she was right! Soul deserves better than me!" Kristen bit her lip, knowing _nothing_ she could say would convince Maka. Instead, she sat down and rubbed Maka's back comfortingly.

"Let's just get ready to go to the party, okay? You can wear that dress I got you."

"What dress?" Maka sniffed.

"Get up and come see."

Maka slowly got to her feet and followed Kristen to her room, where the white-haired girl reached up into her wardrobe to pull out a box. She opened the white box and pulled out a red dress with a black-and-white piano pattern at the bottom and neck. The sash of the dress was black-and-white striped and tied into a fat bow. Maka covered her mouth when she saw it.

"Wh-when did you get this?" she whispered, touching it. It was soft to the touch, and silky, too.

"I got it a couple weeks ago when we planned the party. I thought you and Soul might appreciate it."

"Kristen, I don't know what to say."

"How about I get you ready?"

* * *

Soul showed up a couple hours later. Kristen had gone ahead so that he and Maka could have some alone time on the motorcycle.

"Maka?" he called.

"Coming."

She stepped out of the bathroom and Soul's nose burst.

Not only was she wearing the sexiest dress he'd ever seen her wear, but she had her hair back and was wearing a pair of treble clef earrings and an eighth-note necklace. She wasn't really wearing any makeup, save for some mascara and lip gloss. His eyes travelled downward to her feet, where she was wearing the black heels she'd worn at the DWMA Anniversary Ball.

"Do I look okay?" she asked.

"Ask my nosebleed," he groaned, grabbing a tissue. She giggled a little. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah."

They got on the motorcycle and headed for Kid's. When they got there, Soul could see Kristen in her favorite lavender dress, talking to the Thompsons. Maka got off the bike and headed in, Soul right on her heels. Mostly so he could watch her hips sway as she walked like the Maka-pervert he was.

"SOUL!"

He turned to see Ava walking towards him, several of their male classmates (and a few female) surrounding her with attention. She wore a short black dress that barely covered her ass and her boobs threatened to fall out of with heels so high that it was a miracle she didn't fall. Unlike Maka, she'd gone all-out on makeup, but he didn't care.

He didn't even get a nosebleed from her dress.

"Hey, Ava," he greeted her. She gave a little smile to Maka, who disappeared into the crowd before Soul could say anything else. Ava grabbed his arm.

"What do you say you and I… _catch up_?" she purred. Years of dealing with Blair had taught him how to deal with this and he wrenched his arm out of her grasp.

"Ava, listen, I'm not—"

"Just come with me." She grabbed his arm again and pulled him outside on one of the balconies.

"What is it? I have a girlfriend to get back to."

"Forget her, Soul. _I'm_ here now, and we can pick up where we left off in New York."

"You mean _five years ago_? Sorry, Ava. I'm not interested."

"What, am I not _good enough_ for you?" she snapped. "Someone like you deserves _better_ than some flat-chested girl." He massaged the bridge of his nose.

"Listen, Ava. What we had was _nothing_ compared to what I have with Maka. I love her, I will always love her, and I will _never, ever cheat on her_. So fuck. OFF!"

Ava glanced behind him and smiled. She smashed her lips into his.

Soul heard a gasp behind him and could feel emotional pain on his soul wavelength. He pulled away from Ava and turned around just in time to see Maka disappear into the crowd.

She'd seen.

"Maka—" he called, trying to run after her, but Ava held his arm.

"C'mon, Soul. Don't bother with her—"

He'd had enough.

He used his strength to pull away from her and run after Maka. Ava let out an offended gasp as he vanished into the crowd after his Meister.

"Soul." Kristen stepped in front of him.

"Let me by, Kris. I have to find Maka."

"And I'm going to help you find her fast, because I know where she went."

"Where?!"

"The fountain."

Soul thanked his sister and ran outside to the perfectly symmetrical fountain that was the crown jewel of the gardens. Maka was sitting on the edge, her face buried in her hands as she sobbed. He approached carefully, not wanting to startle her.

"Maka?" She looked up and turned away from him. "Please, look at me."

"No," she croaked. "I'm a mess."

"You're not a mess."

"Yes, I am! I'm a plain, flat-chested, violent, insecure mess!"

"Whoa!" He grabbed her shoulders. "What the hell are you talking about?" She swallowed.

"I'm talking about how you deserve better than me."

Soul stared at her, then…

"How can I do better than _you_?"

"I dunno… date Ava?"

"Oh, hell no."

"I know you _said_ you didn't feel anything for her, but earlier, she said all this stuff about how I wasn't good enough for you and that you needed someone better equipped to deal with your 'needs' and it hurt _so much_ and then you kissed her—"

She was cut off as he kissed her, even slipping his tongue into her mouth to comfort her. They broke apart a few seconds later, her face bright pink in the starlight.

"Listen, Maka. You are _too_ good for me, and you're _perfectly_ equipped to deal with my 'needs'. Also, she kissed me because she saw you coming. You're the only girl I've ever felt this way about. Like I told Ava, what she and I had was _nothing_ compared to what we have."

"Really?"

" _Yes_ , Maka. If we were eighteen right now, I'd ask you to marry me, but seeing as you just turned seventeen and my birthday's not for four months, I'm going to hold off on that."

"Y-you want to marry me?"

"Fuck yeah. We're basically married already; it'd just be more official."

"I love you, Soul."

"I love you too, babe."

They started kissing again, but they were interrupted by Soul's phone buzzing. Annoyed, he pulled it out to see a text from Kristen.

' _If you two want some alone time, I can stay here and let you have the apartment to yourselves.'_

"Damn, Kristen's awesome."

"So, do you want to take up her offer?" Maka had on her let's-have-sex-all-night voice.

"Fuck yeah."

* * *

"KRISTEN!"

The white-haired girl whipped around at the sound of Ava's voice. The brunette was livid that Soul had just _ditched her_ like that, and she wanted to find him.

"Where the hell is your brother?! And that little whore he calls his girlfriend?!"

"They left," Kristen replied. "Went home."

"And they _left you behind_?"

"Pfft. I sleep here at least twice a week so they can have privacy, so it doesn't bother me. Why? Haven't had enough failure for the night?"

"I wanted to make sure he knew I'm open to being his mistress."

"Nope. Not gonna happen. Maka would know and then all hell would break loose. Besides, Soul is a one-girl type of guy… and _Maka_ is that girl, not you, so fuck off, skank."

"Your mother—"

"Was a hamster and my father smelled of elderberries?"

"No! She'll hear about this!"

"She already knows what you said about Maka. I texted her earlier. And Saoirse. They're not happy with you. Have fun going home!"

Ava was left gobsmacked as Kristen spun on her heel and walked away.

* * *

 **I know in the beginning, I said I wouldn't make a romantic rival for Maka, but this idea popped into my head today and completely halted my original idea, which will be done in the next chapter.**

 **Yes, Saoirse is from Ireland. She moved to America for college and had bitchy Ava.**

 **I dunno why, but I really felt like writing bitchy characters recently. Guess that's why Ava did what she did.**

 **Anyway, so long and thanks for all the fish!**


	7. Kid and Kristen's Awkward First Date

He couldn't accurately pinpoint when or where it had started. Maybe it was on her birthday, where she'd drunkenly clung to him. Or maybe before then, when he heard her singing a song for her brother and his soon-to-be girlfriend. Maybe it was the day they met, when he'd noticed her symmetry. No matter when it had started, it had started, and he couldn't shake these feelings. Namely, his feelings for her.

He knew she was off-limits; she was four years younger and the _younger sister_ of one of his _closest friends_. That didn't stop his feelings from springing to the surface or wanting to be more than friends.

Still, at least he got to be close to her, and the closer he got, the more about her he learned.

She loved her brothers and mother but hated her father.

She preferred peppermint tea to coffee.

If you triggered her bad side, her tongue could cause as much damage as her fists.

Her favorite candy was cinnamon hard candy.

She'd had extensive self-defense training while living in New York.

She hated being woken up in the morning.

All the big and little things added up to his crush, the forbidden Kristen Evans. He was fine with admiring her from afar. It would lead to far less bodily pain from Soul and less chance of rejection. He thought he was being subtle and keeping it well-hidden.

His Weapons begged to differ.

* * *

"Hey, Kid!"

 _Oh, fuck!_

Kristen stood over him, a smile on her face. She looked even cuter than usual in a knee-length violet skirt and a long-sleeved white blouse with her white hair in low pigtails tied with lavender ribbons.

"Has anyone else arrived yet?"

"N-no, not yet."

"Liz and Patti told me two o'clock."

 _I'm going to kill those two…_

"Well, the movie starts at 2:30, so let's just wait a few minutes for everyone else to show up!"

She sat down next to him, her legs not even reaching the floor due to her short stature. More people sat down on the bench, squishing her closer to him until she was practically in his lap. Kid squirmed internally; Liz and Patti had set him up.

"Remind me why we're doing this again?" Black*Star hissed to the Thompsons as he and Tsubaki watched Kid and Kristen alongside them.

"Because Kid needs to get over his awkwardness around her, and this was the best way to do it!" Liz replied.

"And if they get all smoochy-smoochy, that's just a bonus!" giggled Patti.

"You two know Soul's going to kill us, right?" Tsubaki asked.

"Duh, that's why we specifically did it on a day when he and Maka were out on a mission," Liz snorted.

"I guess they're not coming," Kristen sighed. "We'd better get going if we want to see the movie."

"Y-yeah, you're right." Kid followed Kristen into the theater but paid for their tickets and snacks.

"I could've paid for myself, Kid," she grumbled.

"Yes, but I was trying to be a gentleman."

"Okay, whatever floats your boat."

They sat down next to each other, each obviously uncomfortable with the situation. Kid had only bought one popcorn, figuring they could share since that was what he did with Liz and Patti. Plus, there was always the chance that he could touch her hand—

No! Bad Kid! Off-limits!

The previews rolled through, Kristen offering him quiet commentary on how good, bad, cheesy, or obvious-cash-grabbing each upcoming movie was. Despite the fact he hated talking in movie theaters, he found it endearing and a bit humorous.

By the time the movie started, Kid was ready for it to be over so he could go home and remind himself that _Kristen Evans was off-limits_. Despite that, he found the movie to be an extremely good one. Kristen had pointedly told him it was a remake and not to expect much, but they found themselves enjoying it more than either of them had enjoyed the original.

"What'd you think?" Kristen asked as they stepped out of the theater, still followed by the conspirators.

"Well, the group scenes were well-choreographed and I enjoyed the music. The story was great as well."

"It's centuries, maybe even millennia old."

"Really?"

"Yep. _Beauty and the Beast_ was originally a Roman folktale and eventually evolved into what we know it as today, just like most fairy tales."

"How intriguing!"

"Maybe one day we can see just how much the stories have changed. Together."

 _Damn_ it was hard to remember that she was forbidden.

"Er, Kristen, shouldn't you be getting home?" he asked.

"I'm having fun, and besides, Spirit won't be picking me up until eight. We still have almost three hours to kill, so how about dinner?"

"Dinner sounds great!"

"So… Waffle House?"

They sat down in the restaurant and ordered their meals, still being watched. Kid watched as she folded her napkin into an origami swan.

"How's your training going?" he asked, trying to make small talk.

"It's going okay. I still haven't resonated with Maka yet, but Soul says it's fine if I don't get it yet."

"He and Maka didn't resonate until they'd already collected 99 Kishin souls and lost them."

"Oh, yeah! They told me that story!"

"It's not unusual to have trouble with resonance. Just keep trying."

"…hey, Kid?"

"Yes?"

"Am I… pretty?"

He froze.

Out of all the questions she could've asked, she just _had_ to ask that one?!

"Um… er…" he stammered, trying to think of a way to say it without telling her he was interested.

"You're stalling." She'd turned her ruby eyes on him.

 _Good Lord_ , was this how Maka felt when Soul looked at her?!

"Yes, you are. You're going to make some guy very happy someday. Why did you ask?"

"Well, it's just… you avoid me like the _plague_ most of the time yet today you spent most of the afternoon with me. I thought I was just ugly or something."

"No, no! It's just… I don't want your brother to get the wrong idea."

"Ah. Yeah, Soul's overprotective, but he means well."

"Now, kiss!" snickered Patti as they watched.

"Shush!" commanded Liz.

After dinner, Kid and Kristen wandered around the mall for a while, looking into stores and not really buying anything. As eight o'clock approached, they sat down on the bench where their outing had started. Kristen started to nod off, her head landing on Kid's shoulder. Instead of stiffening, he put his arm around her so that she'd be more comfortable.

"Hey, Kid?" she said sleepily.

"Yes, Kristen?"

"Liz told me what I said to you on my birthday… and I wanted to tell you that I meant it."

Kid's face turned a color usually reserved for cherries and tomatoes. Before he could respond, however, Kristen's phone buzzed and she sat up to check it.

"Spirit's here," she told Kid. "I've gotta go. I had a great time, though!" She kissed him on the cheek before dashing for the doors. He sat in dumb silence for a minute, his brain trying to process what had just happened.

She'd meant it? Did that mean… she _liked_ him? His feelings weren't unrequited?

And why had she kissed him?!

* * *

"Sorry we weren't there, Kid. It completely slipped our minds."

Liz was smiling as Kid got into the backseat. They'd stopped watching after dinner, since everything seemed to be going well.

Kid didn't answer.

"Kid?" Worriedly, Liz turned towards her Meister and realized he had a look on his face that said his world had just been shaken. "What happened?"

"N-nothing!" he insisted, holding his hands up defensively. "L-let's just go home!"

"Something happened, because you're super-out-of-it."

"Er… Liz, can you keep a secret?"

"Sure can, buddy."

"I… may or may not… have feelings for Kristen."

"Really?"

"Yes, and I'm afraid today only pulled me in deeper. I ended up spending almost the entire afternoon with her alone and it felt like… a date. At the end, she kissed me on the cheek after telling me she meant what she said on her birthday!"

"Oh, Kid. You've got it bad for her."

"N-no I don't! And she's off-limits to date since she's Soul's little sister!"

"Geez, calm down. I'm just saying you have a massive crush on her. At least she's cute!"

"She's not _cute_! She's beautiful!"

"Knew it! You've got it bad for Krissy Evans!"

Kid sighed.

This crush on Kristen was going to be the death of him.

* * *

 **Yeah, this is a shorter chapter. Gotta keep up with my one-chapter-a-week status, so you got a short chapter this time. Next chapter I'll spend longer than three hours on, so it should be super-long to make up for this.**

 **This is the chapter that sets up Kid and Kristen's sort-of-dating-but-not-really-because-there's-a-four-year-age-gap-and-her-brother's-overprotective relationship. As you can see, Kid has definite interest and so does Kristen—grow a pair, Kid, and tell the girl. Just kidding. You'll tell her after her brother finds out he's gonna be a dad.**

 **So long and thanks for all the fish!**


	8. Love Letters, Love Flowers

"So, did you guys _see_ Soul Eater today?"

"Omigod, yes! He had this, like, _glow_ that made him even more sexy than usual!"

Kristen rolled her eyes as she listened to her classmates gossip. It was the end of the week, meaning that it was time for her routine of breaking into Soul's locker before he got to it with Maka to get rid of all the love notes and partnership requests. Despite the fact that he was in a blissful relationship, the NOT class girls just didn't seem to get it.

"So, are you going to tell him?"

"Of _course_! I'm the prettiest girl in the NOT class, maybe even the DWMA!"

"Nice try, ladies," Kristen snorted. "He's taken."

"By _you_ , Evans?" the busty redhead sneered. "I didn't think he was the type to date his double."

"Oh, _God_ , no. He's with his Meister, Maka Albarn, and since I'm his baby sister, and I don't think he'd appreciate you talking to me like that."

The redhead and her dumb brunette friend shut up, gaping at the tiny white-haired girl as she slammed her locker shut.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go raid my brother's locker so I can shred love notes and partnership requests. Bye!"

As Kristen flounced towards Soul's locker, the girls followed her, watching as she spun the dial and dug for notes. After finding them all, she stuffed them in her bag, shut the locker door, and turned to find the girls behind her.

"Ev—I mean, Kristen!" the redhead laughed nervously. "I had no idea you were Soul's sister!"

"Ha! Death Scythe made the same mistake when I met him, so no harm, no foul."

"Still, I'd love to—"

"Lemme stop you right there, Jenny. I know what you're doing. You're trying to be super-nice to me so that you can become my 'friend', get close to my brother, and ruin his _perfectly happy relationship_ so you can date him even though he'd dump your ass within a week. Sorry, honey. Not falling for it." She slung her bag over her shoulder.

"Listen here, you little bitch!" Jenny growled, getting in Kristen's face. "Soul is meant to be _mine_ , so if you think you can scare me, then you must _really_ have a death wish because I'll kick your teeth—"

"Oh, hi, Soul!" Kristen called. Jenny immediately backed away to see her crush standing behind her, an arm slung around his girlfriend's shoulders.

"S-Soul!" Jenny stammered.

"Not interested. Now scram," he stated bluntly. Maka gave him a look that told him to be more tactful. "Sorry. I'm not interested in you because I have a girlfriend who I'm sticking with for the rest of my life, so you can go."

Jenny and her friend walked away as Kristen smiled.

"What's in the bag?" Maka asked Kristen.

"Stuff," the youngest Evans replied. "Cleared your locker, Soul."

"Thanks, Kris." Soul opened his locker.

"So, did anything interesting happen while we were gone?" Maka asked.

"Well… I mostly hung around the apartment except for on Saturday-when-I-sort-of-went-on-a-date-with-Kid, but—"

"Wait, you went on a _date_?! With _Kid_?!" Maka's tone made Soul whip around, slamming his locker shut in the process.

"What the fuck?!" he yelped.

"It wasn't an _official_ date or anything! He didn't _ask_ me! We were supposed to see _Beauty and the Beast_ with Liz, Patti, Black*Star, and Tsubaki, but they didn't show, so instead of wasting the day, we went to see it together and he bought dinner."

"Still, you're only thirteen."

"You were _living_ with the girl you loved when you were thirteen!" By now, they were walking towards home.

"Yeah, but that was different because I wasn't _four years older_ than the girl I loved and I didn't know any better than to _not_ insult her tiny tits—"

 _BAM_!

A book came down on Soul's head.

"OW! GODDAMMIT, WOMAN! IT'S NOT LIKE THEY'RE _THAT_ TINY ANYMORE!"

"Shut up, idiot! For that, you're on the couch tonight!"

Kristen giggled at her brother's pain.

* * *

"Kris, wake up!"

At the sound of Soul's voice and the feeling of him shaking her, Kristen opened one eye and glared at her brother.

"You'd better have a good reason for waking me up or there will be hell to pay," she growled.

"Yeah, I do. Just come on."

She groaned and rolled out of bed, following her brother into the kitchen. Ingredients were set out on the counter, Soul looking lost as he squinted at a recipe.

"Okay. What the hell do you need me for?"

"I suck at cooking and today's Maka's birthday, so I wanted to make her something special for breakfast."

"Uh, no. Last time we let you cook, I had to go out and buy a new fire extinguisher."

"I know. That's why I need your help, dumbass!"

" _You're_ the dumbass. Look, it's simple. Follow. The. Recipe. And. Don't. Wake. The. Bear!" She bared her teeth, trying to look like a grizzly but instead looking more cub.

"Oh, yeah, and _you_ can cook?!"

"At least my food is edible and doesn't set the kitchen on fire! Look, if you're _that_ concerned, why not take her to her favorite breakfast place?" Kristen sighed and glanced at the calendar.

 _February 14._

"What the hell?! Miss Anti-Romance herself was born on _Valentine's Day_?!"

"Shut up! She's not _anti-romance_ , she's just anti-any-guy-but-me."

"So basically if she didn't have you, she'd be living alone with fifty cats?"

"Shut up and help me!"

"Yeah, yeah. Keep your pants on until tonight, okay? Then you can take them off and get in bed with Maka and—"

"Shut. Up!"

"Okay!"

* * *

Maka was still asleep when breakfast was finished. Soul loaded it onto a tray while Kristen put a blue violet (yes, violets _can be_ blue) and a single red rose from the window boxes into the vase.

"Okay, what?" Soul asked.

"The blue violet symbolizes faithfulness, while the single full-bloom rose says 'I love you and I still love you'."

"…what kind of school did you go to in New York?!"

"I read a lot. You know that!"

"Let's just give them to her and hope she gets the meaning."

Maka opened her eyes as the door to her and Soul's room opened. There was her boyfriend with her favorite breakfast on a tray and flowers in a vase.

"Happy birthday, babe," he whispered as he handed her the tray.

"Oh, Soul, you sweetheart!" She gave him a kiss on the cheek. "And… I know my birthday's Valentine's Day and all, but what's with the flowers?"

"Kris put them there. Said something about the blue one meaning faithfulness and the rose meaning 'I love you'."

"Well, tell her I said thank you."

"So, um… if you want to eat your breakfast, I can set up our plans for the day."

"All right." She settled down on the bed and started eating.

After breakfast, Soul came out of their room to find Kristen already gone. There was a note attached to the fridge.

 _Hey, guys!_

 _I decided to head out for the day. Don't worry, Soul. I'm not going on a date or anything, but I_ did _arrange a gift for Maka from me! Surprise! It's everyone leaving you two alone today! I'm spending the night at Kid's, so feel free to get as loud and kinky as you want with your girl tonight!;D_

 _Love, Krissy._

He rolled his eyes and flipped the note around so Maka wouldn't read it. She came out of their room still in her pajamas.

"So, what are we doing today?" she asked.

"It's your day, babe. You pick."

"Well, I think we should have a movie marathon and cuddle on the couch. Then maybe some sexy times, if Kristen isn't here…"

"She already left and she's spending the night at Kid's."

"Great. I'll make the popcorn."

Soul smirked and squeezed her ass as she walked by him. She let out a yelp and whirled around.

"What? I'm not allowed to grope my sexy girlfriend's ass?"

"You _are_ , but at least wait until we're on the couch, okay? Then you can give equal attention to _everything_."

"You know I will."

* * *

"Aw, c'mon!" Black*Star whined. "Why do we have to wait until tomorrow to celebrate?"

"We've been over this," Kristen groaned. "It's Soul and Maka's first Valentine's Day as a real couple and they deserve a little privacy. Besides, I told them I'd have the rest of you leave them alone for the day so they can do what they want."

"Sex!" Black*Star coughed.

"In the meantime, I was thinking we could all go out somewhere."

"Can't," Liz sighed. "I have a date with Killik."

"I'm watching a new show called _Gravity Falls_!" Patti chimed in.

"Patti, that show came out five years ago," Kristen told the blonde. "It ended last year."

"NO! IT CAN'T BE!" [1]

"I'm afraid so, my friend."

"I've got an idea!" Black*Star piped up, evidently out of his funk.

"What?"

"A triple date! Me and Tsubaki, Liz and Killik, and you and Kid! It's Valentine's Day, isn't it?!"

"But we're not a couple!" Kid protested.

"So? You act a bit like a couple!"

"WE DO NOT!" Kid and Kristen yelled in unison, each blushing a color more usually at home on tomatoes.

"HA! _KID AND KRISTEN, SITTIN' IN A TREE!_ " sang Patti and Black*Star. " _K-I-S-S-I-N-G!_ "

"Liz," Kid grumbled. The older Thompson sister transformed and he shot both Black*Star and Patti.

They ended up going on the date anyway, with Kristen borrowing clothes from the Gallows since she couldn't go home and everyone having a great time. Kid even got another kiss on the cheek from Kristen and turned the color of a cherry. She blushed hard, too.

* * *

The next day, Kristen shot a text to Soul to warn him that they were all on their way. Good thing she did, because he and Maka had been curled up in bed, cuddling naked after a night of sex. They just barely managed to get dressed before everyone burst through the door, yelling "Happy belated Birthday, Maka!"

"Thanks, guys!" Maka sighed, a smile on her face. Liz eyed the hickeys on Maka's neck and smirked suggestively.

"Looks like _somebody_ had a great _actual_ birthday," she teased. Maka blushed and covered one of the marks.

"Whatever! Let's party!" Black*Star whooped.

* * *

 **And that concludes chapter 8. Wow, I'm really keeping up with this, aren't I?**

 **Anyway, yes, I made Maka's birthday Valentine's Day purely for the sake of irony. I've had someone in the comments ask about Soul being a dad. Don't worry; that's next time.**

 **I'm also glad that Kristen is being well-received by fans of this story. As I've mentioned before, writing OC-based stories is hard.**

 **So long and thanks for all the fish!**


	9. Oh, Baby

"You're WHAT?!"

Maka cringed as Blair and Kristen screeched in shock.

"I'm pregnant," she repeated. "I figured I should let you two know since you live here and all."

"Does Soul know?" Kristen asked.

"Not yet. I just took a test this morning and he won't be back for a week."

"I can't believe it. I'm going to be an aunt!"

" _I_ can't believe I'm going to be a mother…"

"Don't worry, Maka! You have _us_ to support you!"

"I know, but… I'm a bit worried about how Soul and Papa are going to react."

"Soul will be ecstatic and your dad will overreact, but if he tries to hurt Soul, he can go suck an egg." Maka laughed.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure! Soul will be happy that he's starting a family with you, trust me! He's always wanted to have kids someday! That day just came a little quicker than expected."

"And me and Kitten will be with you guys every step of the way!" Blair added.

"Thanks, you two."

Over the next week, Blair and Kristen did their best to help Maka along with her pregnancy. That included getting crackers and ginger ale for morning sickness, covering for her at school, and making sure the mother-to-be was comfortable. Kristen even looked up ways to help a pregnant woman out during her first trimester.

Maka still had to tell Soul, and her opportunity came the night he came home.

Kristen and Blair had prepared a special meal for Soul's homecoming, making the apartment's dining table very romantic. They excused themselves from the apartment once dinner was served, leaving Soul and Maka alone.

* * *

Now, as we know, Soul's an idiot, but not _that_ much of an idiot. He knew that Kristen and Blair never cooked for when he came home from missions, nor did they leave the apartment together on those nights. He also noticed throughout dinner that something was up with Maka, since she kept picking at her food instead of eating it.

"Maka, babe, what's wrong?" he asked as they cleaned up from dinner.

"N-nothing's wrong…"

"Bullshit. You've been acting off. And what was with those two earlier?"

"They're… helping me with something. And as far as me acting weird… well, I have something to tell you."

"What is it? You're not breaking up with me, are you?"

"No! Why would you even think that?!"

"I dunno… it just seems like Kristen and Blair were trying to soften the blow with the fancy dinner."

"Well, they _were_ trying to soften some big news… Soul, I'm… I'm… I'm pregnant."

For a minute, he just stood there, staring at her, jaw wide open. She stared at the floor, fidgeting under his gaze.

"Say something, why don't you?" she asked.

"A-are you sure?" he croaked. She nodded.

"I took a test last week and Stein confirmed it. We're having a baby." He went silent again. "Soul, are you—"

"YES!" He picked her up by the waist and swung her around the kitchen. "This is awesome!"

"Y-you're okay with it?!"

"I'm fine with it!" he laughed. "It's a little early, but we're starting a family!"

"I don't know how to be a mother…"

"And I have no idea how to be a dad, but we'll figure it out."

"You know Papa's going to kill you, right?"

"Yeah. Then my mom'll have Stein bring me back as a zombie so she can kill me again, but nothing's keeping me away from having this baby with you."

They hugged, Soul burying his face in Maka's hair and inhaling her scent.

"Maybe we can celebrate," he added suggestively.

"Sounds great to me."

* * *

"Hey, I was thinking," Kristen said to Soul and Maka over breakfast a couple days later. "How about instead of telling everyone one at a time, we tell them all at once?"

"That's not a bad idea," Maka commented. "We'll invite them over for dinner and announce it then."

"We can do it tomorrow night," Soul suggested. "We don't have anything going on."

"Good idea."

* * *

Sure enough, the following night, their friends, Spirit, Kami, and Holly arrived at the apartment. Maka felt nervous as everyone was eating, her morning sickness threatening to make an untimely appearance to ruin her news. Soul squeezed her hand gently to reassure her. Once dinner was over, everyone moved to the living room for dessert and after-dinner talk.

"Um, excuse us, everyone," Kami spoke up from her place next to Spirit. "We have an announcement to make." Maka tilted her head at her mother, wondering what the news could be. She knew her parents had begun dating again shortly after she and Soul had, but what was going on?

"As you all know, I got Kami to give me a second chance," Spirit began, a smile on his face. "I never thought it would happen."

"And we're happy to announce that we're getting married again!"

Maka's jaw dropped, all thoughts of her pregnancy flying from her head. Everyone else began congratulating the newly-engaged couple, Soul wrapping his arm around Maka's waist. His touch reminded her of her _own_ announcement. Once everyone had calmed down a bit, Maka cleared her throat.

"Well, congratulations, Mama and Papa," she told her parents. "I'm happy for you both."

"In fact, we actually have an announcement of our own," Soul added, nodding to Maka. She took a deep breath.

"We're having a baby."

There was silence before a glass shattered. Spirit had dropped his drink.

"Well, it's about time you announced it," Kid snorted.

"Yes," Kami agreed. "We've been waiting to hear it for a week."

"Soul, can I talk to you outside? Alone?" Spirit asked through clenched teeth.

"Sure thing, old man," Soul replied.

"We're all listening for him being murdered!" called Kristen as they walked out of the apartment.

Spirit took a deep breath as he faced Soul.

"Before you say anything, I'm not a bastard like you," Soul informed Spirit. "I'm not going to cheat on Maka. She's the only woman I've ever loved that way and the only one I ever _will_ love that way. I'm sticking with her."

"Are you prepared to be a father, though?"

"Oh, _hell_ no. I have no idea how to be a dad, but I'll learn."

"That makes me feel better. Don't be afraid of coming to me for advice."

"Maybe I will."

Despite the fact that Soul and Maka were planning to conceal Maka's pregnancy during the remainder of the school year (since they were seniors and all), Black*Star is Black*Star and Black*Star has a huge mouth. Word spread through the school like wildfire after one of the biggest gossips in school (Jenny) overheard Black*Star discussing it with Tsubaki. Naturally, there were rumors that the baby wasn't actually Soul's; those rumors came from his thick-headed NOT class fanclub members. That died down once Soul and Maka were caught making out in a janitor's closet.

Even so, more change was on the way…

* * *

"We need a new place," Soul declared while he and Maka were making dinner together.

"Why?" she asked, a piece of cheese in her mouth.

"Um, I don't think five people, even if one's technically a cat, can live in a two-bedroom apartment."

"What do you suggest we do?"

"I think… we should find an actual house."

"Hmm…" Maka stirred the pot. "That's not a bad idea, now that I think about it. Are you sure Kristen doesn't want to live with Holly, though?"

"I don't. You guys are stuck with me," Kristen giggled. "It's not that I don't love Mommy; she's just really busy with her career."

"I'd prefer to find a nice place, if we can."

"And preferably before Peanut's born," Soul added, resting a hand on Maka's flat tummy.

* * *

House-hunting was quick and painless, thanks to their respective parents. Spirit and Kami knew the area, while Holly had an idea of what kind of house to get.

The house they ended up living in was in the suburbs—a two-story place with a small front yard and a large backyard. It had five bedrooms and three bathrooms, which worked just fine for Soul since he was living with three females who took a while. Kristen, Soul, and Blair set up the nursery while they were moving in. It happened quickly. Maka was still only three months in by the time it was finished.

"I love this place," Maka told Soul. "It's so perfect."

"I know, babe." He kissed her gently before they began full-on making-out.

"I love you," she whispered as they briefly broke apart.

"I love you too."

"So, I was wondering—" Kristen broke off as soon as she saw Soul and Maka's position. "Oops, sorry, guys! I didn't see anything!" She covered her tomato-red face with her hands.

"It's fine," Soul sighed. "What's up, Kris?"

"I just wanted to say congratulations on the baby again, is all! Bye!"

She dashed out the door.

* * *

 **So, for the next chapter, I was thinking of maybe celebrating Soul's birthday, since at the end of this chapter it's May and Soul's birthday's in June. I have an idea for it, along with a 'deleted scenes' story that will feature all the SoMa sex you didn't get to read in this story. Let me know if you want to see it!**

 **So long and thanks for all the fish!**


	10. A Birthday and a Wedding

Maka yawned as she got out of bed. Soul was still asleep and drooling a little on his pillow. She couldn't help but giggle a little as she checked the calendar.

June 8.

Soul's eighteenth birthday.

Maka threw on her bathrobe and rushed downstairs, where she found Kristen asleep on the couch, her game controller hanging from her hand. Obviously, she'd stayed up all night playing video games.

"Kristen!" hissed Maka, shaking her. Kristen opened one eye and the pregnant woman jumped back.

If looks could kill…

"Oh, morning, Maka," Kristen yawned, sitting up. "I was just about to get up anyway. What's up?"

"Today's Soul's eighteenth birthday."

"Oh. Well, I know what he wants, but you're already doing it, so what do you need me for?"

"I was going to make him breakfast. Wanna help?"

"Sure. How about we throw him a party tonight and you can give him a private party later?"

"Great idea! Let's get started!"

* * *

Soul sat up in bed and stretched. He could smell pancakes and bacon cooking downstairs and noted that Maka's side of the bed was empty. He figured she'd probably gone downstairs to make him breakfast and headed down. Kristen was in the backyard garden and Maka was flipping a pancake by the time he got down there.

"Morning, babe," he said softly, resting his chin on Maka's shoulder.

"Soul!" she yelped, whirling around.

"That looks good."

"It's for you. Happy birthday, Soul."

"You know, all I really need for my birthday is you." He began nibbling on her neck and she let out a moan.

"Y-your sister's right out-outside!" she gasped.

"I know." He gave her a sadistic grin and bit her ear.

"S-SOUL!"

"Save it for tonight," Kristen chuckled as she came inside. Soul reluctantly let go of Maka and Kristen pointed to the dining table. "Sit there until breakfast is ready. And no, you can't have Maka for breakfast."

"All right…"

All day, Kristen and Blair prepped for the party. Maka wanted to help, but Kristen insisted she keep Soul company instead. And boy, did she! By the time Kristen came to get the guest of honor, Maka had several new hickies that were visible, as did Soul.

"Let's go before Black*Star breaks down the door," she giggled.

Sure enough, their friends entered the house and the party began.

"Thanks, guys!" Soul yelled over the music.

"NO PROBLEM, DUDE! ANYTHING FOR MY BEST FRIEND!" Black*Star yelled.

Kristen had gotten caught up in the music, her dance training from New York kicking in and attracting a lot of attention from the opposite sex. Kid ended up dragging Liz and Patti onto the dance floor with him so they could keep perverts away. Really, though, it was so he could dance near her without being accused of being a pervert.

The party went on for hours. Maka and Soul disappeared at one point, not to be seen until poor Tsugumi walked in on them… doing the nasty. They were blissfully abstinent the rest of the evening.

* * *

Now that Soul was legally an adult, Holly signed the paperwork for him to be Kristen's legal guardian, much to her daughter's delight. It was simpler that way, since Kristen had insisted on continuing to live with Soul and Maka to act as live-in babysitter once the baby was born. Also so she could spend time with Kid without a parent checking up on her. But mostly for the babysitter thingamajig.

"Hey, we got a letter!" Maka called as she walked in the house with the mail. "It's from your dad, Soul—"

Before she could finish, Soul transformed his hand to destroy the letter. Maka held it to her body so he couldn't.

"Let's at least read what it says, okay?"

She opened it and pulled out an invitation.

"' _You are cordially invited to the wedding of Hayden Evans and Heather Duke on July 22.'_ Who's Heather Duke?"

"Daddy's mistress," Kristen muttered bitterly. "She's an awful lady. His secretary. Her boobs aren't even real."

"Dad's moving on already?" Soul snarled. "Not surprised. Hate that bastard."

"Maybe we should go," Maka mused.

"Maka!"

"He's your _dad_ , Soul."

"I don't want _anything_ to do with that jackass."

"Soul—"

"Besides, I _know_ he's going to be judgmental of the fact that you and I are having a baby before marriage and it's going to get _really_ ugly."

"Listen, I know what having daddy issues is like, but you have to _try_ to fix things. Please. For me?" She gave him the look that always made him melt like snow.

"Okay, fine. For you."

"I'm not going," Kristen declared stubbornly.

"Oh, no. If _I_ have to go, _you_ have to go," Soul snapped. "Besides, I'm sure we can convince Kid to go with you."

"I hate you."

* * *

And so, in July, Soul, Maka, Kristen, Kid, and Blair headed to New York for Hayden's wedding. As Soul had predicted, Hayden didn't approve of Soul and Maka having a child out of wedlock and made a comment about abortion. Maka glared at him as he walked away with his bride-to-be.

"Hypocrite," she muttered. "Heather's pregnant too."

"Well, that's awkward!" Blair chirped, leaning against Wes. Kristen pursed her lips.

"What's even more awkward is the fact that their baby will be an aunt or uncle before it's even born," she muttered.

The wedding was a massive and fancy event, as to be expected from Hayden Evans. Several people from Soul's past were there, including girls who'd snubbed him in the past but were now interested due to his Death Scythe status. They didn't seem to understand that he was taken and not willing to end his relationship any time soon. However, unlike with Ava, Maka didn't get jealous or insecure, knowing that Soul was hers and she was carrying his child. The other girls seemed to think that Maka was a horrible option for Soul since she didn't have a musical background.

Kristen proved to be quite the capable block, however, keeping all the girls away from her brother so he could spend time with Maka.

* * *

By the time the next school year rolled around, Kristen was unwilling to leave her future sister-in-law at home by herself, but Maka insisted Kristen continue attending classes. The youngest Evans had moved up to the EAT class as a result of successful missions the previous year and was working with Kid, Liz, and Patti since her regular Meister was unavailable for missions.

Needless to say, it was an odd time for all…

* * *

 **I'm sorry this chapter isn't better. I have a lot going on right now, between school, Girl Scouts, and marching band, and I'm putting this story on hiatus until school's over. I'll have all summer to write and make this story great, but I can't update it once a week until then. Please don't hate me for this!**

 **So long and thanks for all the fish!**


	11. Junk Food and a Jackass

**I am back!**

 **Now, as some of you may know, I'm not the best at writing drama. This chapter is an attempt at writing drama on my part. Feel free to let me know what you think, and also to kill me in the comments because I'm about to throw a feels bomb. Cue my band director's evil laugh!**

* * *

As she gives me that smile, I know the truth. Our relationship, her first and mine, too, can't go on. She's young, and so beautiful, and I'm not going to tie her to me. She deserves someone she can grow old with, not someone who's going to remain young while she gets older. It doesn't matter how much my heart is cracking at the thought of leaving her, or how she'll react. It's for her own good, and mine, too.

"Kid?"

Shit. She's giving me that look.

"Kid, what's wrong?" she asks, her eyes glimmering with worry. She has the uncanny ability to read me like she's Maka reading a book. "Don't lie to me; something's bothering you."

I bite my lip as I look at her. In the light of the late-afternoon sun, her hair appears silvery around the ends as the last of the summer breeze blows through it. Normally, I'd be having a fit due to the lack of symmetry, but something about her keeps me from going down that road. It's beautiful, almost like if it was an image of her singing voice.

 _Damn_ , what this girl does to me… but I have to do it now.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something," I tell her.

"What?" She tilts her head.

"I… I think… I think we should break up."

Her reaction is instantaneous. Shock.

"B-break up?! Why?!"

"I… I just don't think we're a good fit for each other is all. You're young. You'll find someone else."

"But I don't _want_ someone else! I want _you_!"

"I'm sorry, Kristen. It's over. I'll drive you home, but that's it."

She's quiet. Her eyes are permanently aimed at the ground as she follows me to the car. The ride to her home is just as silent. Soul, Maka, and Blair aren't home, thank God, and she gets out and goes inside without a word. Not even a goodbye.

I did the right thing. I _know_ I did. I've been thinking about this since we became a couple right after Valentine's Day. I can't hold her back when she's got her whole life ahead of her.

I mean, it's not like it was much of a romance anyway, right? The most we've done is a peck on the cheek, nothing more. No matter how I looked at it, I couldn't see much of a future for us. She might be heartbroken at first, but she's young, and she'll find someone else. I had to do it.

No matter how much it hurts.

* * *

I'm alone.

Good. Nobody can see Krissy Evans, Siren of Death, cry her eyes out.

How could he do that? We were happy! And what the hell was all that about me being 'young' and 'finding someone else'?! Did I do something wrong?!

I run upstairs to my room and slam my door shut, locking it behind me. I fall against it and let my tears do the same thing. I'm lucky I'm alone for the weekend, or Soul would be breaking down my door by now. Or, maybe not, since Maka has to have peace and quiet until the baby's born. Whatever. I don't care.

I've never been one for clichés, but for the first time, I want to be one. I stand up on shaky legs and put on some pajama bottoms and a T-shirt, one of Kid's, I realize in sadness. I throw on a robe and my fluffy bunny slippers and head downstairs, where I raid the kitchen for comfort food before going back upstairs and turning on the song 'Stitches'.

 _I thought that I'd been hurt before…_

All night, I listen to breakup songs and eat junk food, only leaving the safety of my room to get more. The next morning, I wake up to someone ringing the doorbell. I ignore it, hoping they'll get the message and go away.

Instead, my phone buzzes. It's a text from Liz.

 _I know you're home, so open up._

 _ **Not feeling up to it right now; sorry.**_

* * *

Liz sighed in frustration as she read Kristen's response. She checked under the turtle planter on the porch and got out the spare key. Unlocking the door, she went inside to find the kitchen cleared of any and all junk food. Since Maka and Soul were spending the weekend with Spirit and Kami, there was only one person who could've eaten it all.

The blonde jogged up the stairs and over to Kristen's room, where she could hear 'Titanium' playing through the door. She picked the lock and threw the door open to find Kristen sitting on her bed in pajama pants, an oversize shirt, and a robe, eyes red and puffy from crying, empty junk food containers lying on the floor nearby.

"Oh, Krissy," Liz soothed, sitting next to her and stroking her hair. "What happened?"

"Ask your Meister, the jackass!" the Siren of Death spat with a sniff. "It's _his_ fault I'm like this!" Liz narrowed her eyes.

"What did he do to you?"

"He-he dumped me! For no apparent reason!"

Liz let out a low growl of frustration.

 _Kid, you better pray I get this resolved before Soul, Blair, Maka, or Patti find out, or you're dead meat…_

* * *

It's so peaceful out here, away from the hustle and bustle of Death City.

Granted, I'm only out here to forget about Kristen…

Still, I… I don't regret… I don't regret it.

Who cares that I'll never know what her lips taste like? Who cares that I'll never wake up in the morning to find her next to me? Who cares that I'll never get to dance with her?

Or see her walk down the aisle?

Or… hear her say she loves me ever again?

Or… hear her voice at all…?

I may have fucked up… just a little…

Before I can wallow deeper in self-pity, Liz is standing over me and she's _pissed_.

"Hello, Elizabeth," I greet her.

"Don't you fucking 'hello, Elizabeth' _me_!" she snaps, grabbing the front of my shirt and yanking me up to her face. "Do you have _any idea_ how pissed I am right now?!"

"I'm not in the mood for your economic—"

"Who said anything about money?! I'm talking about Kristen!"

"Oh." I should've known. "She's better off without me."

"Tell that to the _mountains_ of junk food containers, tissues, and whiny break-up songs that are in her room right now!"

"She's young! She'll find someone else!" Liz sighs and sets me down before sitting next to me and staring at the grass.

"Kid, she loves you. She's not going to get over you that easily, and you hurt her."

"…I'm hurting too."

Liz snaps her head up, her anger blazing anew.

"Bullshit! You just dumped her like she was asymmetrical garbage!"

"Because it's what's best for _her_! And for me! Think about it, Liz! About what would happen if Kristen and I worked out?"

She gives me a look that asks for an explanation.

"If she and I… worked out… we'd eventually get married. We'd be happy, maybe have a couple of children, but then Kristen would start getting older more quickly than me. She's human and I'm a Reaper. I'm immortal and she's not. She'd keep getting older and older until she eventually died and I have to collect her soul. It would _hurt_ , Liz, and I didn't want to face that future, so I ended things."

"You idiot. You're just being a selfish coward. You're thinking about how that future would feel for _you_ , and yeah, in that way, it's painful. But for Kristen? That's an _ideal_ future, a _perfect_ future with you. You were only thinking about your own selfish ass and not her."

Liz's words sink in and I realize she's right. I was only thinking of the heartbreak that lay _decades_ down the road, and not the girl here and now who loves me.

Or, I hope she still does.

Because I sure as hell love her.

* * *

 **Yeah, no, Kid. Not letting you off the hook that easily.**

 **Kid: Kaitlynn! How could you?!**

 **Katie: Drama, honey, drama. This chapter was the setup, and I may have tossed in a reference to _Undertale_ somewhere. Also, I have revealed Kristen's nickname: Siren of Death! Get it? Because she sings? And she seduced the son of Death...?**

 **Soul: *cracks knuckles* You mind tellin' me when I get to pound his face in?**

 **Katie: Calm thyself, elder Evans. This chapter is part one of the "Kid and Kristen Break Up" trilogy. And no, it doesn't end with them sleeping together.**

 **Kid: Thank God…**

 **Maka: I thought Kristen would be here.**

 **Katie: She's upstairs, crying still. She'll be up by Spirit and Kami's wedding next time.**

 **Maka: And my baby?**

 **Katie: Will be born after Kid and Kristen's trilogy. So long and thanks for all the fish!**


	12. A Thousand Years

**Part two of three and I can promise you that I'm leaving you on a cliffhanger.**

 **Also, my apologies to any followers who didn't get an email when chapter eleven was uploaded; my internet decided to fuck up and the site didn't register that I uploaded around midnight on May 4. How do I know that? Because I get an email every time I upload a new chapter and I didn't get one.**

 **See you in the endnote!**

* * *

"You may kiss the bride!"

Spirit kissed Kami as the crowd erupted in cheers. Maka smiled from where she was sitting next to Soul, her seven-and-a-half month pregnant belly making her condition glaringly obvious to everyone. Kristen was sitting on Soul's other side, her heart too twisted from Kid's treatment of it to enjoy the event. Ordinarily, she'd be all over it, screaming and squealing and jumping, but she couldn't deal with romance at the moment. She knew she wouldn't be able to for a while. Liz shot her a worried look and a glare at Kid.

"Hey," Soul said to his sister, grabbing her hand comfortingly. "Forget him. You don't need him. Just focus on making your performance at the reception great for now, okay?" She nodded.

"Okay…"

They turned to leave, Soul helping Maka through the crowd like a good baby-daddy while Kristen walked behind him.

Kid saw them. It was the first time he'd seen Kristen in the month since their breakup, since she'd gotten permission from Stein to take her lessons from Maka instead of going to class so she wouldn't have to face him. It reminded him what a horrible person he was for what he'd done to her; she'd given him her fragile thirteen-year-old heart and he'd shattered it like a porcelain teacup. Liz still spoke to him, on occasion with civility, but Patti only spoke to him to berate him for being a selfish bastard. Soul would leave the room when Kid entered to keep from attacking his future boss. Maka avoided him altogether since stress was bad for the baby. Tsubaki seemed to be the only one beside Liz who treated him without malice. Black*Star… well… we won't talk about Black*Star.

"Kristen!" he called, trying to get through the crowd to her. She stiffened a bit but kept walking. "Kristen! Wait!" She quickened her pace and disappeared out the door.

"She's not going to listen to you," sighed Liz. "I don't blame her. First breakups are hard to get over."

"I _have_ to talk to her somehow!"

"It's been a month, Kid. Why is this your first attempt to talk to her?"

"I… I don't want Soul to kill me…"

"He's restraining himself. Grow a pair and get closer to her already!"

* * *

At the reception, Kristen set up for her performance alongside her brothers. They'd chosen a classic love song to perform together for Spirit and Kami's first dance, at the bride's request. Kristen couldn't bring herself to cancel, especially since Spirit was more of a father to her than her own father had ever been. She felt like she owed them at least one song. Well, that and she hadn't performed with her brothers in _years_ , not since before Soul had left the music scene. It had been too long, and she wanted to at least pretend for a few minutes that her heart hadn't been thrown into a blender put on 'puree'.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Soul asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Positive. I'm good at pretending everything's fine…"

Soul gave her a look that said he sincerely doubted that, but didn't pry further since Spirit and Kami were arriving. Maka gave him a thumbs-up from her place offstage.

" _Hey, everyone!_ " Kristen fake-giggled into the microphone. " _We're here today to celebrate two very special people. Although they've been married to each other before, they found their way back together after years of separation, proving love can survive even the worst turbulence! As a result, the Evans Family has a special song to perform!_ "

People began clapping as Spirit took Kami's hand. Kid and Liz slipped in just as Soul played the intro to the song with Wes. Kristen took a deep breath.

 _"Heart beats fast_ ," she sang. " _Colors and promises… How to be brave, how can I love when I'm afraid to fall, but watching you stand alone… All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow…"_

Kid's golden eyes rested on her and the rest of the world faded to darkness as he unconsciously reached his soul to hers. She accepted him, surprisingly, and it was a warm and welcoming feeling.

" _One step closer… I have died every day waiting for you. Darling, don't be afraid; I have loved you for a thousand years… I'll love you for a thousand more…"_

Time slowed down as Kid and Kristen met in their shared soul space. He gave her a look of longing and opened his mouth to speak.

"Tell me after the song," she whispered with a sad smile.

Back in the real world…

" _Time stands still… Beauty, in all she is… I will be brave, I will not let anything take away what's standing in front of me… Every breath, every hour has come to this…_ " She closed her eyes. " _One step closer… I have died every day waiting for you. Darling, don't be afraid; I have loved you for a thousand years… I'll love you for a thousand more… All along, I believed I would find you. Time has led your heart to me; I have loved you for a thousand years… I'll love you for a thousand more…"_

Soul and Wes played the instrumental, Kristen swaying naturally to the music. In her soul, however, she was dancing with Kid already, silent until they could speak to each other in the real world.

" _One step closer… one step closer… I have died every day waiting for you. Darling, don't be afraid; I have loved you for a thousand years… I'll love you for a thousand more… All along, I believed I would find you. Time has led your heart to me; I have loved you for a thousand years… I'll love you for a thousand more…"_

She lowered her face as her brothers finished out the song and the crowd cheered. As the siblings left the stage, Soul was immediately attacked by Maka, who started gushing over his piano skills. Wes went off to talk to Blair. Kristen knew she had to face Kid. She'd said she would, but that had been in her soul. She didn't think she had the strength to talk to him in the actual world.

Luckily, he made her decision for her.

"Kristen," he said, taking her hand. "I need to talk to you."

"Sure, Kid…" He took a deep breath.

"I just wanted to say I'm—"

Unfortunately, their conversation was put on hold as an explosion rocked the building.

Making up would have to wait.

* * *

 **Cliffhanger!**

 **Kristen: Katie, you meanass bitch!**

 **Katie: *covers heart* Oh, my, Miss Evans! Did I just hear swearing coming out of your little Loli mouth? I raised you better than that!**

 **Kristen: No, you didn't!**

 **Soul: That's my sister! *high-five***

 **Katie: Well, I do have a disclaimer to make about this chapter. I do not own the song 'A Thousand Years'. That song belongs to Christina Perri, before any of you people actively trying to get me blocked object.**

 **Kid: Why am I an idiot?**

 **Katie: Just wait for next time. It's gonna be a doozy! So long and thanks for all the fish!**


	13. The Past Returns

**Hey guys. I wanted to finish out this trilogy because I know you all don't care about it, so let's get it over with.**

* * *

The building rocked as another explosion hit it. Kid instinctively shielded Kristen as rubble fell around them. She grabbed onto him and refused to let go until the shaking stopped. Once it did, they ran out into the main hall, where everyone else was looking confused as hell as to what had just happened.

"What was that?!" Maka asked, shaking as she clung to Soul.

"That, dear 'Angel of Death', was the beginning of your end…"

Kishin. Dozens of them, all blood-thirsty and looking to end anyone there. Soul made himself a human shield between them and his pregnant girlfriend.

"Oh, how cute!" giggled one Kishin. "The pathetic little Death Scythe wants to protect his lady love!"

The Kishins surged forward, attacking with everything they had. Soul made it his mission to get Maka out of there, one that was taken over by Wes and Holly so he could fight.

"Kris, get out of here!" he yelled, slicing one neatly in half.

"No way!" she snapped, kicking one in the base of the spine. There was a snap as the beast fell to the ground and died. "I'm not letting you guys have all the fun!"

She ran into the thick of things and Kid tried to follow her, but he was cut off by some Kishin in his path. No matter how many he destroyed, more kept coming.

Then suddenly, one let out a cry and they retreated.

"That was weird," Soul panted, out of practice fighting from his months of rest. Holly rushed back into the room with Wes and Maka right behind her. She had a worried expression as she began checking Soul over for injuries.

"You seem fine," she sighed in relief. "Where's your sister?"

"She's right…" Soul looked around and realized that his sister was nowhere to be found. "Oh, fuck!"

"What is it?!"

"She's not here! Goddammit! KID!"

Kid rushed over.

"What is it? What's wrong?!" he asked.

"What's wrong is that Kris is missing, and you were the last to see her. Where's my sister, Kid?"

"I don't know! I lost track of her when she ran into the thick of things, and I couldn't follow her!"

A search party was quickly sent out, but the only traces they found of the thirteen-year-old were fabric from her dress and one of her high heels. Holly had a nervous breakdown and had to be put in the infirmary as a result. Wes immediately cancelled any concerts he had coming up so he could remain in Death City until his sister was found. Soul was livid and Maka was literally the only thing keeping him from giving in to madness. Kid was feeling even more guilty than before, like he should've saved her somehow.

"…it's all my fault…" he croaked. Liz turned to him and patted him on the back.

"I don't think you could've saved her, Kid. There were too many of them."

"I should've followed her in there and fought alongside her. I wanted to tell her how sorry I am, that I want to be with her. Goddammit!" The Reaper punched the wall, leaving a deep dent. "Kristen…"

* * *

 _Ow… my head…_

I open my eyes to find myself sitting on the floor of a filthy cage. I immediately recoil in disgust and look down at my dress. The skirt is shredded, and the sash is completely gone. I'm missing a shoe and the other one has a broken heel.

The last thing I remember is fighting all those Kishin… and one hitting me in the back of the head… Nothing else comes to my memory.

"Oh, the Siren of Death is finally awake," a sickly-sweet voice oozes. I look up to see a woman with greenish-blonde hair wearing a black hoodie. She feels evil and her appearance is snakelike.

"Who the hell are you?!" I spit, and she lets out a cackle.

"My name, dear girl, is Medusa Gorgon, the Snake Witch."

I freeze.

Medusa.

Crona's mother.

The reason my brother grapples with madness near-constantly.

"You-you—!"

"Ah, ah, ah!" she scolds, wagging a finger at me. "I'm not your enemy. In fact, I want to help you."

"How could you help me, you bitch?!"

"I can mend your poor little heart. Poor little Siren. The man you love left you without warning. Your brother is forgetting all about you and focusing on his girlfriend. Even your mother is more focused on her career than raising you. The Siren of Death, Kristen Annabelle Evans, is left alone, unloved, unneeded by all in her life."

Something about her words is setting off an alarm in my head, but I don't care. She's right. Kid left me. Mom was glad to let me live with Soul, who doesn't seem to need me anymore. Wes is away constantly and my father doesn't care about me at all.

"Y-you'll fix it…?"

"Yes, dear Siren." Medusa reaches through the cage, her eyes glowing. I can't help but stare... "Just consider me your _real_ mother." She caresses my face and I nod. "Good girl. Just do as I say and _everything_ will be fixed…"

"Yes, Lady Medusa…"

"You will refer to me as Mother, are we clear?"

"Yes, Mother."

She opens the cage and lets me out. I follow her down the corridor and we come to another room. Upon entering it, I see a girl about stupid Maka's age sitting in the corner. She has pink hair and is wearing a black dress. She looks scared. What a cowardly baby…

"Crona, this is Kristen," Mother says to the girl. "Kristen, this is Crona."

"H-hello," Crona stammers. "I-it's nice to m-meet you…"

"Same…" I hiss.

* * *

Crona stared at this odd girl. She looked so much like Maka's partner, yet there was something off about her. She had a glazed look in her eyes, like she was under one of Medusa's spells. Her clothes were torn and she was missing a shoe and the other was broken. Obviously, she'd been taken by force, and by the looks of it, she'd put up a fight.

"Don't forget, Kristen," Medusa purred, a hand on the younger girl's shoulder. "Just do as I say and I'll make all your pain go away."

Crona shuddered and wished for Maka to come…

* * *

 **Ha, ha. I lied. I wanted to have an actual arc of the story, and this is part of it. Don't worry. The baby will still be born in the next chapter.**

 **Soul: So you made me completely useless. Great. Thanks, Katie.**

 **Katie: Oh, you're not** _ **completely**_ **useless. You're still taking care of your girlfriend!**

 **Kid: And Kristen's gone because she was kidnapped by Medusa and brainwashed.**

 **Katie: Well… yes. So long and thanks—**

 **Liz: *clears throat* Katie, didn't you have something you wanted to ask the audience?**

 **Katie: Oh, yeah! Guys, every author loves reading reviews. I love it. However, I'm not afraid of criticism. Negative comments don't bother me. It** _ **does**_ **bother me, however, when people leave the exact same comment every time they bother reviewing. Just… don't be afraid to tell me how you feel about the story. Oh, and sorry if you haven't been getting updates on the story. The site's messed up the last two times I tried to publish stuff. Anyway, so long and thanks for all the fish!**


	14. Happy Birthday (literally)

Maka hissed as she burned her finger while cooking. She stuck it in her mouth to soothe the pain. The baby had kicked her in the ribs a little harder than normal and made her hit her finger on the side of the pot.

"Hey, babe," Soul sighed, coming through the door. He wrapped his arms around Maka and buried his face in her neck.

"Anything?" she asked.

"A couple more sightings, but nobody's been able to catch her."

"I'm sorry, Soul…"

"It's not your fault. I'm just a horrible brother…"

"It wasn't your fault either."

"I just feel so guilty that she's gone because of me." He sighed. "Anyway, how's the baby?"

"She's fine," Maka replied. "Kicking a little more than usual, but we're both fine."

"Good." He kissed her on the cheek. "I'm going to change because I hate this stupid shirt."

Maka nodded and turned her attention back to the food.

It had been a month since Kristen had disappeared at Spirit and Kami's wedding, and the DWMA was still searching for her. Reports had been coming in from all over the world about her whereabouts, but so far, no luck had been had. To make things worse, some reports stated Crona and Medusa were with her, spelling bad news for the youngest Scythe at the Academy. Maka could tell Soul wanted to be out there searching for his baby sister, but he insisted on staying with her, at least until after the baby was born. Holly had been moved from the infirmary to the hospital shortly after the wedding and Wes had been living in her house. Hayden had been called (much to the Evans's displeasure) and they'd gotten Heather Duke, who expressed only the tiniest bit of grief over her stepdaughter.

Blair, like Holly, had been nearly inconsolable. She, however, had personally volunteered to search for 'Kitten'. As a result, she hadn't been home in almost a month.

"I miss her, too," Maka whispered to herself, thinking of her little sister.

Throughout the rest of the evening, the baby continued kicking Maka as hard as it had while she was cooking dinner. Soul was stressed enough without her complaining about pain that was so brief.

She didn't realize that she was beginning labor.

* * *

Later that night, Maka felt a sharp kick in her belly. She tried to ignore it, but felt something wet between her legs. Looking under the blanket, she could see the bedding was soaked under where she'd been lying down. Her breathing hitched as she realized what was going on. Soul was still asleep on his side of the bed. She leaned over and started shaking him.

"Soul!" she hissed.

"Hmm… what is it?" he groaned sleepily, turning over and looking at her through half-lidded eyes.

"Soul, we have to go."

"Go where?"

"My water broke!"

"We'll call Stein in the morning." He turned back over and she sighed.

" _Three, two, one…_ " she murmured, waiting for the news to sink in. He shot into a sitting position and stared at her.

"Are you sure?!" he asked, his voice taking a very unmanly pitch.

"My water broke. Of course I'm sure!"

"O-okay… we have a plan… I'll call Stein and we'll try to get to the car!" He grabbed his phone and Maka's hospital bag and began helping Maka along, dialing Stein with one hand.

" _This better be important,_ " Stein grumbled sleepily as he answered the phone.

"Maka's water broke and we're on our way to the hospital!"

 _"Oh, that's pretty important. Take her to the school. I'm there right now."_

"How do I get her up all those stairs?!"

" _I have my ways._ "

Maka barely managed to buckler herself in before Soul was heading towards the school. Luckily, the father of her child was a fabulous driver, even when he was nervous. He kept running his hand through his hair, muttering to himself and making it even more spiky than usual.

* * *

Somehow, as Stein had said, Soul managed to get Maka into the infirmary, where Stein was waiting for them. He quickly had Maka change into a hospital gown and made sure she was comfortable on the bed.

"She's about four centimeters dilated," Stein informed Soul. "I'd suggest you go out and call your friends and family. Make sure you call Spirit first."

Soul gulped nervously and nodded. He went into the hallway and hit 'Red-Haired Bastard' in his contacts.

Spirit groaned as the sound of the ringing phone woke him up. The caller ID said 'Shark-toothed Maka Thief'.

"What the hell do you want?" he growled.

" _I'm calling to tell you that Maka and I are at the school. She went into labor._ " Spirit sat up in bed, waking Kami with the action.

"Are you sure?!"

" _Her water broke, so yeah, I'm sure! Stein told me to call everyone._ "

"Okay. Thank you. We'll be there in twenty minutes." He hung up and got out of bed.

"Who was that?" Kami asked.

"It was Soul. Maka went into labor."

Kami threw off the blankets and started getting dressed.

* * *

Soul paced nervously in the hallway. Maka was only six centimeters, according to Stein, and still had four to go. He'd called all the friends and family he could (except his dad because fuck that guy) and they still hadn't arrived yet.

Or, now they were.

"How is she?" Tsubaki asked, shaking. Black*Star was hanging onto her, still half-asleep.

"She's six centimeters," Soul sighed. "We can't start delivery yet, but Stein said he'd tell me when it's time."

Spirit and Kami were next to arrive, along with Wes and Holly, who'd been released from the hospital a few hours earlier. Kid and the Thompsons arrived last, dark circles under Kid's eyes. He hadn't really been seen by any of them since Kristen had been kidnapped, and Soul knew he was feeling guiltier than anybody else. The Reaper still wasn't forgiven for dumping Kristen, not by a long shot, but he was on the road to it.

"Soul," called Stein. The white-haired Death Scythe rushed into the room without another word. Kami and Spirit looked at each other worriedly.

"I'm… surprised you're not rushing in there," Liz told them.

"Well, Maka told us she only wanted Soul and Stein in the delivery room, so we're respecting her wishes," Kami replied.

"I WANT MY PAPA!" wailed Maka from inside the delivery room.

"Yes!" Spirit fist-pumped in victory before regaining his composure and entering the room.

"Papa!" sobbed Maka.

"I'm here, Angel, I'm here!" He took Maka's left hand since Soul was clutching the right. Maka had tightened her grip on her boyfriend's hand to the point where he couldn't even feel it anymore, but he was too terrified to care.

"Ten centimeters!" announced Stein. "Maka, on the count of three, I want you to push. Ready? One… two… three!"

Maka pushed as hard as she could, screaming all the while.

"Again. One… two… three!"

Spirit gritted his teeth in sympathy for Maka, remembering how intensive Kami's labor had been all those years ago.

"One more time! I see the head! One… two… three!"

Maka screamed so loudly and so shrilly that Ragnarok would've been jealous. Soul wanted to close his eyes, but couldn't look away. All he could hear was Maka screaming and… wait, a baby crying?

"Congratulations. It's a girl," Stein told them. Maka was panting, an exhausted look on her face as Stein handed her the baby.

"Oh!" she breathed. "Hi, there!" She cradled the baby softly once she'd let go of Soul and Spirit's hands. "I'm Maka, your mama." Soul took a good look at the baby. She was small, red, wrinkly, covered in blood, and still crying like there was no tomorrow.

"She's perfect," he whispered, kissing Maka's forehead. "Great job, babe."

"I couldn't have done it without you."

"Allow me to clean off the baby," Stein told the couple. Maka reluctantly handed the infant over to her teacher/doctor, who wrapped her in a blanket. The exhausted new mother smiled as he handed her the now-clean infant then turned to Soul and Spirit. "I can take a look at your hands if you want."

"Nah, I'm fine," Soul assured him.

"Me, too," Spirit added quickly, not to be outdone by the father of his granddaughter.

"All right. Go deliver the news to the others. I've got to call Marie."

Soul sat on the bed, his gaze on the two most important women in his life.

There was just one thing missing.

"She should've been here," Soul croaked.

"I know," Maka agreed, biting her lip. "But she's not. We'll find her, and she'll make a great aunt."

"Yeah." Soul wiped his eye. "Anyway, we need to name this little munchkin."

"I was thinking maybe Melody. You know, like music."

"That's a great name. And how about we name her after her aunt for a middle name?"

"Melody Kristen Evans. I love it."

"So we're in agreement that she's taking my last name?"

"We always were, dummy."

"I love you." He kissed her gently.

The door burst open and the rest of their friends and family entered the room. Kid was hanging back from the others, but Patti's eyes lit up at the sight of Melody.

"Ooh!" she squealed. "She's so _cute_!"

"What did you name her?" Kami inquired.

"Meet Melody," Soul informed them. "Melody Kristen Evans."

Holly let out a sob of joy and grief. Kid and Wes each gave a sad smile.

"She should've been here," sighed Liz. "She had everything planned out…"

"And thank God she drilled it into my head at month six," Soul agreed.

"She'll meet her niece one day," Tsubaki assured them. "Nothing could keep her gone for much longer."

* * *

"Oh, isn't that sweet?"

Medusa turned to her 'adopted daughter'.

"Kristen, dear, you've got a niece, and your brother gave her your name!"

"Like that'll make me happy," snorted Kristen, looking up from where she'd been painting her nails black to match Medusa's. "She'll grow up to be a spoiled brat, just like her mother."

"That's my girl." Medusa smirked at the almost-fourteen-year-old.

"M-Medusa," stammered Crona. "I-is M-Maka alright?"

"She's fine. Childbirth is natural. However, it's the _baby_ I want."

"Why?"

"A child of Black Blood _and_ a Grigori Soul? She could make for a _very, very_ interesting experiment."

"And I can get my revenge," added Kristen.

"Yes! We're on our way, girls!"

* * *

 **And chapter fourteen is done!**

 **Liz: Hey, uh, Katie? I was checking your page and this is the longest story you've ever written.**

 **Katie: Oh? How so?**

 **Liz: Chapter and word count. Also, in content, it's the most packed.**

 **Katie: Oh, FUCK yeah! *does victory dance that looks like she's having a seizure***

 **Patti: Bye, guys! Don't forget to review! So long and thanks for all the fish!**


	15. Snakes and Frogs

Soul let out a groan as Melody began screaming.

"Melly's crying," Maka mumbled.

"I can hear her," he grumbled.

"Go take care of her…"

"I'm going, woman."

Soul got out of bed and went into the nursery, where Melody was kicking her feet as she cried.

"C'mon, Mel," he sighed, picking up his daughter. "You sound just like Kris did when she was a baby… course, you don't know who Kris is…"

Melody kept crying. Soul went and got a bottle, which he stuck in his daughter's mouth. She began sucking on it hungrily, making him smile a little. He began rocking her and singing softly as he tried to get her back to sleep.

" _Ribbit_."

He looked at the windowsill and saw Eruka sitting there in frog form. He almost yelled, but stopped himself just in time. Soul laid the now-sleeping Melody in her crib before turning to the frog witch.

"You'd better have a good reason for being here," he hissed.

"I need to talk to you and Maka. _Ribbit_."

"Can't it wait until morning?"

"Nope. It's about Melody… and Kristen."

 _That_ got Soul's attention. He turned back around and stared.

"Get Maka and meet me in the kitchen. _Ribbit_."

Maka sat down at the kitchen table, shifting uncomfortably in her chair. Eruka had transformed back into her human form and sat down, too.

"What's this about my daughter and my sister?" Soul inquired.

"It's about Medusa," Eruka replied. "She has your sister under a spell and is planning to take Melody away."

"What does she want with our baby?" Maka asked, shaking.

"Your daughter is the child of both Black Blood and a Grigori Soul. Medusa thinks she'd make an interesting experiment."

"Over my dead body!" Soul growled.

"That's the thing: she's sending Kristen to get the baby. She thinks you won't willingly attack your own little sister. I came to warn you because I felt it was only right. Experimenting on an infant—that's something even most witches are unwilling to do. I don't want to see a baby harmed."

"Thanks, Eruka," Maka told the frog. "We can take it from here. Just send us a message when she's on her way."

"I will. Be careful."

* * *

"SHE'S DONE _WHAT_?!" roared Holly, shocking everyone. Soul cringed. Despite the fact that his mother was a percussionist, she had vocal cords that could rival some of the top singers in the world.

"Put a spell on Kristen," Maka repeated, holding Melody tightly in her arms. "She wants Melody and she's using Kristen to get her."

"How _dare_ she?!" growled Spirit. "Not _my_ granddaughter!"

"What are we going to do?" Tsubaki asked.

"We're gonna kill the witch, obviously!" Black*Star scoffed.

"I mean about Kristen! We can't just fight her! She could get hurt!"

Kid got to his feet and took a confident stance that they hadn't seen him take in the four months since he'd broken up with the second-youngest (Melody being the first) Evans.

"I'll face her," he volunteered.

"Uh, no offense to you finally snapping out of your self-pity-party, but I'm not shooting a fourteen-year-old," Liz piped up.

"I'm facing her _alone_. No Weapons."

"Are you _crazy_?! We don't know what she could do—"

"And I don't want my apology to her for breaking her heart because I was a selfish _bastard_ to be on her _deathbed_!"

That silenced Liz, and everyone began preparing.

* * *

It was decided that the Evans-Albarn families would live at the Academy for the time being. It was the safest place for Melody, and her family (both her mother and father's sides) refused to leave her. They awaited the warning from Eruka.

Maka found motherhood slightly easier with her parents and Soul's mother so close by. She still refused a lot of help from anyone but Soul, who had stepped into the doting-daddy shoes like they were made for him. Spirit was obviously jealous that his daughter _and_ granddaughter preferred the white-haired annoyance, but he swallowed his pride for the sake of protecting Melody. Besides, he knew Soul was a good man and would never hurt Maka.

* * *

"Um… Mr. Evans…?"

Soul turned to see one of the newest NOT students, a shy girl named Ruby, peeking around the corner. She was a Weapon to her Meister older sister, Michelle, and they were pretty much attached at the hip. Unsurprisingly, Michelle was just around the corner holding something in a box.

"We found this outside, and it started talking," Michelle informed the Death Scythe in her typical bolder fashion. "It said to bring it to you."

She opened the box to reveal a heavily-injured Eruka in frog form. She was heaving shallow breaths. Soul took the box from Michelle.

"Thank you," he told her.

"Kimmy said it's a witch."

"Kimmy's right."

"Okay. Bye, Soul!"

Michelle turned to leave, Ruby right on her heels.

As soon as the sisters were out of sight, Soul ran to the infirmary. Stein was busily working, Kim reading a book on healing spells nearby.

"Eruka's here," he panted.

"Goodbye, book!" declared Kim, tossing it away before taking the box. "Give me a minute and she'll be able to give us the information. Go to the Death Room and let Lord Death know that she's here."

Eruka was transformed back into her normal human form and brought to the Death Room once she'd healed. She gulped as she stood before four powerful Meisters, two Death Scythes, three well-above-average Weapons, and the Grim Reaper himself. It was an intimidating situation for anyone and made the frog witch shift uncomfortably on her feet.

"So… what is it?" Maka asked.

"They're on their way," Eruka stammered. "Kristen… she found out I warned you and did the damage."

"Impossible. My sister wouldn't hurt anyone who didn't deserve it," Soul snapped.

"She's not herself, remember? I've seen her in the past, and this spell is making her insecurities her driving force. Medusa got into her head and now she's hell-bent on revenge."

"DAMMIT!" Soul punched the floor.

"How'd you get here, then?" Liz asked.

"Mizune. She carried me most of the way before Medusa got her."

"How long do we have?" Kami, ever the practicalist, asked.

"I'd say until tomorrow morning at the latest. At the earliest, this evening."

"Not much time to prepare, but we can do it."

The plan was simple: Maka, Holly, Wes, and Blair would protect Melody directly. Soul, Black*Star, Stein, Liz, Patti, Spirit, and Tsubaki would back Kid up as he went to break the spell on Kristen and get Crona on their side. If all went well, they'd send a blade right through Medusa herself and end all the nonsense.

* * *

By evening, the Kishin army Medusa had attacked the wedding with had arrived, already putting massive strain on the school's forces. Kimmy, one of Michelle's friends who happened to be Weapon to a Meister named Cody, had almost lost it at the sight of Ruby and Michelle being struck down. Instead, Cody rushed at the Kishin, fighting harder than before.

Kid was alone.

No Kishin were coming towards him, no battles raged nearby.

He was completely alone.

"Just like you'll always be," a familiar voice sneered. He looked up to see… Kristen?

The young Scythe had changed in the three months she'd been missing. Her long white hair, once smooth and silky soft, had been made grungy and dirty, streaked with black and purple. Her red eyes glowed with hatred, an emotion he hadn't even known the girl he loved was capable of possessing. Even her teeth seemed more intimidating.

"Kristen…" he murmured.

"Surprised to see me, Kid?" she asked, flicking a lock of hair over her shoulder.

"No, because I'm going to help you."

"How are you going to help me?"

"By breaking the spell."

"HA! You can't do that, Mr. Reaper. The spell brings out a person's most buried feelings. For me, it's how much I'm unloved. By my parents. By my brothers. By the woman who's _supposed_ to be my sister. Even by someone who swore up and down he loved me. Unfortunately, the Kristen who rolled over and just wanted everyone to be happy is dead. Bitchy Kristen is in her place."

Kid shot a blast of energy in her direction, catching her off-guard. She dodged it with ease, but he tackled her to the ground.

"I don't want to hurt you, Kristen."

"That's too bad, because I can't _wait_ to hurt _you_!"

She managed to kick him off her and dove between his legs. He felt her land on his back and her tiny hands covered his eyes. It reminded him of when she'd flirted with him—back before everything went to shit.

"This is for breaking my heart!" She dug her nails (were they _sharpened_?!) into his temples. He began trying to throw her off him, but she had a death grip.

"What about your brothers?!"

"Please! Soul has his stupid girlfriend and Wes has his career! They probably didn't even notice when I was gone!"

"They've been worried sick!"

"Then why weren't they in the search parties?"

"Wes had to take care of your mother and Soul couldn't leave Maka when she was so close to birth!" Finally, he managed to loosen her grip and throw her off his back. She fell to the ground but quickly got back on her feet.

"What happened to the woman who gave birth to me?"

"She had a nervous breakdown right after you went missing."

"And my father?"

"Didn't even care, but _we_ do! Stop fighting and just come home!"

"KID!" Black*Star appeared behind Kristen using Speed*Star. Kristen whirled around at the interruption and Kid took the opportunity to attack. He hooked his arms around Kristen's upper arms and held her there.

"LET GO, YOU IDIOTIC BASTARD!" she shrieked.

"Not until we break the spell!"

"Well, we're gonna be here a while, because I'm not doing anything with a heartbreaking j—"

She was cut off as Kid turned her face towards his and kissed her on the lips.

The change was almost immediate. Her hair returned to white, the excess strength granted by the spell leaving her body as she closed her eyes and kissed him back. They broke apart for air, Kristen's eyes tearing up.

"OMIGOD, KID! I'M SO SORRY!" she wailed, her arms wrapped around him. He hugged her to his chest and buried his face in her hair.

"It's alright," he whispered over her sobs of apology.

"No! I was horrible and I attacked you and tried to kidnap my _niece_ and—"

"Shhhh… remember how I said I had something I needed to talk to you about at the wedding?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry for breaking up with you. I… I was only thinking about the heartbreak that _might_ lay decades down the road. I didn't realize that it was ideal for you, and… if you'll take me back… I promise I won't break your heart like that again."

"…you realize I still don't forgive you, right?"

"I figured."

"But I'll take you back, dumbass."

They hugged and shared a quick kiss before heading back towards the battleground.

* * *

 **And that's chapter fifteen!**

 **Kristen: I'M BACK, BITCHES!**

 **Kid: Kristen, please don't refer to Katie's readers as 'bitches'.**

 **Kristen: It's a saying, Kid. And yay! We're back together! *kisses Kid on the cheek***

 **Katie: So next time we get Medusa taken out. YAY! Also, I have a consultant on this story who also happened to appear in this chapter: Kimmy Dixon! She's my friend who really likes** _ **Soul Eater**_ **and reads this story, so Kimmy, this chapter is dedicated to you! So long and thanks for all the fish!**


	16. Medusa and a Letter to Hayden

**Hey guys. I'm finally back from my extended absence from this story. Scroll down if you don't want to read why I haven't kept to my upload schedule. If you do, keep reading.**

 **I last updated the story on May 13, 2017. As of writing this author's note, it is now July 25, 2017, over TWO MONTHS later, and I still haven't published another word of this story. I assure you, there are reasons for the delay, all of them valid.**

 **First of all, when I began this story in March of 2017, I was in the third quarter of my junior year of high school, and in my state, that means they slap you in the face with a massive test at the end of the year that's 20% of your final grade. Studying for the test is a major pain in the ass, not to mention the various end-of-the-year projects and exams to study for. I was also failing two classes, one of which was an easy A and the other an Honors Chemistry class, so my mom was on my ass to bring my grades up. I passed them both, though, so don't worry!**

 **Second of all, I am now going to be a senior in high school taking college courses. That means I have to prep for those courses, as well as practicing driving from my high school to the college twenty minutes away.**

 **Third of all, this summer has shockingly been a massive ball of stress and writer's block. I've barely written anything since school got out because my mother decided this summer was the summer she'd clean out her craft closet. What that basically means is that she had me, and mostly me, helping her sort through almost TWELVE YEARS WORTH OF CRAFT SUPPLIES! That's not exaggeration, either, as I don't think she's gone through it since I was in kindergarten.**

 **So, yeah, the story will no longer be on a weekly update schedule, which makes sense since this is the final chapter in the Kid-Kristen-breakup arc and most chapters after this will be short standalone chapters. I will try my best to update once a month, so just be patient, okay?**

 **Onto the story!**

* * *

Kristen glanced around the corner to see the Kishin army still battling the DWMA students. She gripped Kid's arm to keep him from running out there.

"We need a plan," she whispered, pulling him down so they were at eye level.

"There's no way we'll get them away!" Kid hissed.

"No, I have an idea. You see, the more a spell is cast on a person who can't use magic, the more of the spell they absorb. As a result, they're able to eventually perform the spell on their own."

"What does that have to do with us?!"

"The Kishin won't trust me if I look like this. So…" She concentrated and transformed back into her purple-and-black-streaked hair version. "Now they'll think I'm leading them. You'll have to play along, okay?"

"Okay!"

Kristen tore a piece of cloth from her shirt, exposing her midriff and making Kid blush. She rolled her eyes as she tied his hands behind his back and forced him to his feet.

"Listen. The story is that I captured you and I'm going to use you to get the baby, okay?"

"Got it."

They walked out onto the battlefield and Kristen forced Kid to the ground. He let out a grunt of pain and those fighting gasped. She smirked in her 'mad' way and gazed at the Kishin.

"The son of Death has fallen," she declared. "Now all that remains is to take the child."

Soul stared at his sister in shock, shaking with rage at Medusa for twisting and warping his innocent little sister into this… this… _monster_.

"I will take her myself. The rest of you wait for the signal to destroy everything." She flicked her hair and the Kishin retreated. Once they were far enough away, Soul ran towards his sister, but Kid stood between them.

"Kid, she's not—" Soul began, but Kristen loosened the bonds on Kid's wrists and transformed back.

"Told you it would work," she giggled. "Kishin are _dumb_."

"What?" Soul said in confusion.

"I'm fine, Soul," she told him, hugging her big brother. "Kid snapped me out of it, but I can still look like a badass!"

"O…kay, then…"

"CRONA!" she called, and the tall, thin girl came out of hiding.

"A-are you okay?" Crona asked timidly.

"I'm back to normal, Crona. Now all that's left to do is destroy the witch bitch."

They headed into the school, heading along the route Kristen knew Medusa would take to get to Melody and arriving in the Death Room, just in time to see the Snake Witch herself knock everyone but Maka to the side. Holly's eyes landed on her precious baby girl.

"KRISMAS!" she shrieked. Medusa whirled around and aimed her attack at the young teen, who dodged it.

"Nice try, _Mother_ ," she oozed. "I know your attacks. You can't surprise me."

"Oh, is that so?"

Everyone began fighting her at once. Soon, however, it became apparent that Medusa would not go down easily. Kid was fighting without the Thompsons, since they were right by Melody and Maka. Kristen was right by his side.

"Kristen," he hissed.

"What?"

"Let's resonate."

"We just got back together, dumbass! I don't think we can!"

"Just trust me!"

Kristen grabbed his hand and transformed into her scythe form. Their souls began resonating as Kid prepared Witch Hunter. Medusa turned—only to be sliced by the blade of Kristen's scythe. Her body was rent asunder, her screams fading as her soul was left in the air.

Everyone was openmouthed that one of the biggest threats to the DWMA was finally gone, her soul devoured by the very girl she'd brainwashed for so many months.

* * *

"So, how'd he do it?"

Kristen looked up at Liz.

"How'd who do what?" she asked, confused.

"How did Kid break the spell on you?"

"Oh! Um… heh, heh!" She blushed. "He kissed me… for real."

"Oh, I get it. Real smooth."

"I still haven't _totally_ forgiven him for, you know, smashing my fragile little heart into a trillion tiny pieces, but it's a start."

"Kristen!" called Holly.

"Mom calls!" Kristen hopped off her chair and ran to her mother, who wrapped her in an enormous bear hug.

"Oh, my baby girl. I missed you so much!"

"Kid told me you were in the hospital."

"Yes. I'm afraid you disappearing was a bit… much… for me. Wes even cancelled his tour over it."

"And Hayden?"

"I haven't heard a word from him."

"Well, then… I have a letter to write, anyway."

* * *

Heather picked up the mail, her daughter, Sarah, on her hip. There were mostly bills or letters from the usual people, but one caught her attention. The writing on the envelope was a neat cursive, addressed to Hayden from his other daughter, Kristen. Heather brought it to her husband.

"Leave it over there," he sighed.

"It's from your _other_ daughter."

Hayden glanced up at her in surprise and took the letter. Slitting it open, he pulled out a letter from his second-youngest.

 _Dear Hayden,_

 _How are you? I hope you're well._

 _Well, now that that's out of the way…_

 _So, it's been almost a year since you married Heather. That means it's been almost a year since you acknowledged the existence of me, Wes, and Soul. In that year,_ **so much** _has happened, and I wanted to tell you myself._

 _First of all, Soul and Maka had their baby—your granddaughter, Melody. You'll probably never meet her in person, so I included some pictures. She's adorable, and, according to Maka and Professor Stein, she'll be a powerful Meister someday, too._

 _Something else that happened was me breaking up with my boyfriend—you know, the son of Death himself? He broke it off to avoid heartbreak down the road, but we're back together now. I know you don't approve and I honestly couldn't care less._

 _By the way, you know what made us get back together? I got kidnapped. By a witch. She brainwashed me into hating everyone and I couldn't break through until he helped me. Wes tried to call you, but we weren't able to reach you. Your daughter gets kidnapped and you don't even know about it until_ **after** _she's been rescued. Yay for Team Hayden._

 _Oh, yeah. You may have noticed, Hayden, that I didn't call you 'Dad' or 'Daddy', like I used to. You're not my dad. Not anymore. You haven't_ **been** _my dad in a really long time. Mom at least made effort to spend time with me. You didn't seem to care. So, yeah, you're not my dad. You're Hayden Evans, the man who just helped create me and my brothers. I really don't want anything to do with you anymore. I'm sorry, but I can't be a daughter to a man who doesn't treat me like his daughter or treat his sons equally. I can't be the daughter of a man who divorces his wife only to marry someone else less than a year later._

 _I hope you and Heather and the baby are happy._

 _Goodbye._

 _Kristen Annabelle Evans._

Hayden covered his mouth and stared at the letter in shock. He ripped open the rest of the envelope and found pictures of his granddaughter. She looked like a mixture of his son's girlfriend and his son, a perfect combination of features.

It was then he realized that he'd lost most of his children. And their children, too.

* * *

 **Yeah… short chapter… sorry about that.**

 **There wasn't much I could think of doing, and I'm sorry.**

 **So long and thanks for all the fish!**


End file.
